Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) announced on Wednesday, 15 July that it carried out retaliatory strikes against US military facilities in Bahrain and Jordan, targeting aircraft shelters, command centres, strategic drones, and fuel storage infrastructure. The IRGC described the attacks as a direct response to what it called renewed US aggression against Iran.

Strikes on Jordan's Al-Azraq Base

The IRGC's Aerospace Force said it targeted the US military base at Al-Azraq in Jordan, claiming to have destroyed shelters housing F-15, F-16, and F-35 fighter jets, along with several MQ-9 strategic drones stationed at the facility, according to Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). The IRGC alleged that a significant share of US military operations against Iran had been launched from bases in Jordan.

In an accompanying statement, the IRGC urged Jordanian citizens to demand the removal of US forces from their soil and to prevent Jordanian territory from being used as 'a launchpad for attacks against Islamic nations and the Palestinian people.' It further called on Jordanians to 'destroy American institutions and expel the occupying US army from Jordan.'

Naval Attack on US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain

In a separate statement, the IRGC said its naval forces struck US Fifth Fleet facilities in Bahrain, hitting the NSI management centre, large warehouses storing military parts and equipment, the command and control centre, and fuel storage facilities. The IRGC linked the Bahrain strikes to what it described as the US Navy blocking maritime routes under the pretext of controlling the Strait of Hormuz.

'The enemy should know that now that its pirates have blocked the Indian Ocean route for the export of the region's oil and gas to the world — a move that endangers the interests of America's economic rivals — it must expect other oil and gas export routes that serve the interests of the United States and its allies to be closed as well,' the IRGC said, according to IRNA. The Corps added that the region's oil and gas exports 'will either be available to everyone or to none.'

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, and is one of the world's most critical energy corridors, channelling oil and liquefied natural gas from major Gulf producers to global markets.

Bahrain's Response

The Bahrain Defence Force confirmed on Wednesday that its air defence systems 'confronted, intercepted, and destroyed' a number of Iranian aerial attacks during the morning. In a post on X, the Bahrain Defence Force stated: 'The General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force announces that Iran is persisting in its systematic hostile approach through its heinous attacks targeting civilians in the Kingdom of Bahrain.'

The General Command said all branches and units were operating at the 'highest levels of readiness' and urged civilians to avoid approaching any foreign or suspicious objects left from the attacks, directing them to report such objects immediately. It added that personnel from the Royal Field Engineering Unit were fully prepared to handle remnants safely.

'The deliberate use of missiles and drones to target civilians and private property constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,' the Bahrain Defence Force said.

Strategic Context

The strikes mark a significant escalation in direct military confrontation between Iran and the United States across the Gulf region. This comes amid already heightened tensions over Iran's nuclear programme, US sanctions, and the broader conflict dynamics involving Iranian-aligned groups across the Middle East. The targeting of the US Fifth Fleet's home base in Bahrain — a cornerstone of American naval presence in the Gulf — represents one of the most direct Iranian military actions against US infrastructure in the region in recent memory.

How the United States and its Gulf allies respond in the coming hours and days will be closely watched by energy markets and regional governments alike.