Trump says Iran downed US helicopter; Tehran claims drone strike on US base in Bahrain

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday claimed responsibility for a drone strike targeting the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between Tehran and Washington.

In a statement carried by Iranian media, the IRGC said its naval forces launched the attack at around 2:30 a.m. local time in response to US strikes on several locations in southern Iran earlier in the day.

According to the IRGC, the US targeted areas in Jask, Sirik and Qeshm, damaging a telecommunications mast in Sirik and destroying two water tanks. The Guards described the strikes as attacks carried out under "false pretexts" and warned of further retaliation.

Shortly after Iran's announcement, Bahrain's Interior Ministry confirmed that air raid sirens had been activated across the country.

"The siren has been sounded. Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," the ministry said in a post on X.

The latest developments come amid rapidly escalating hostilities between Iran and the United States following the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.

On Tuesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces had carried out what it described as "self-defence strikes" against Iranian military targets at the direction of President Donald Trump.

According to CENTCOM, US Air Force and Navy fighter jets used precision-guided munitions to strike Iranian air defence systems, ground control stations and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz. The military described the operation as a proportional response to the Apache helicopter incident and recent attacks on US forces and commercial shipping in the region.

President Trump earlier confirmed that Iran had shot down an Apache helicopter conducting patrol operations over the Strait of Hormuz. He said both pilots survived without injuries.

"I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack," he added.

The Pentagon had previously reported that an AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed near the coast of Oman on June 8, stating that the cause was under investigation. The two crew members were rescued within hours during an operation involving US Naval Forces Central Command, the 82nd Airborne Division, and Air Force and Navy units.

Following the US strikes, CENTCOM said American forces remained vigilant and prepared to respond to any further threats in the region.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Washington against maintaining its military presence in the Gulf, saying Iran would respond to any perceived threats.

"Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the US opted to test our determination," Araghchi wrote on X.

"Our Powerful Armed Forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered. Leave our region if you want to be safe. The history of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on the dire fates of intruding outsiders," he added.

The confrontation comes against the backdrop of an intensifying regional conflict involving Iran and Israel, with recent strikes on Iranian infrastructure and reported attacks on Israeli military facilities further heightening tensions across the Middle East.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20 per cent of global oil supplies pass, remains one of the world's most strategically important waterways, making any military escalation in the region a matter of global concern.