US Military Shoots Down Two Iranian Drones Bound for Bahrain, Denies Radar Was Hit
Key Facts
US Central Command said its forces shot down two Iranian attack drones headed for Bahrain on Friday, November 13, with no injuries or damage. The US announcement denied the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ claim that a US radar system in the kingdom had been targeted. The Associated Press, citing Iran’s IRNA news agency, reported that the IRGC said the radar attack followed a US strike on a communications tower at the port of Sirik in southern Iran. The Associated Press could not independently verify that the radar was hit. The Iranian announcement was the first report of a facility being targeted in Bahrain since September, the agency said.
The IRGC said a liquefied petroleum gas tanker struck a mine that exploded as it passed east of the Strait of Hormuz, and that it had ignored repeated warnings. The Associated Press could not independently verify the claim. The account of the tanker comes as maritime incidents have escalated in the disputed waters; October saw the highest number of incidents against commercial ships since the war began in February, the agency said. The events highlight the widening risks to shipping through the strait and surrounding area. The tanker incident, according to the IRGC’s account, also places commercial shipping at the center of the regional escalation.
The latest announcement follows reports of damage to US military sites in the region. The Associated Press said more than 115 missile or drone attacks, claimed by Iran or groups it backs, had damaged or destroyed facilities at 26 US military bases and sites through the end of August. That record provides context for Washington’s concerns about radar and warning-related sites, but does not establish that the radar cited by the IRGC was hit on Friday. The November 13 incident remains limited to what Central Command announced about shooting down the two drones and the absence of injuries or damage. The account of a radar being targeted has not been independently verified.
On shipping, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on other countries to help protect ships from Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio said he made no progress on the request during talks with his counterparts from the Group of Seven in Paris. The diplomatic impasse coincides with accounts of a facility being targeted in Bahrain and a tanker incident that could not be verified. Protecting shipping remains one of the options Washington has put forward in response to maritime risks. The available information did not report a new Group of Seven decision on providing assistance.
The military escalation coincides with a failure to monitor Iran’s nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran told it this month that discussions on monitoring the program could not proceed while the country was under threat of military attacks. Iran has not allowed agency inspectors to enter nuclear sites damaged in Israeli and US strikes during the June 2025 war, according to the Associated Press. Tehran is linking the possibility of resuming monitoring discussions to military threats, the agency reported. Access to the damaged sites remains part of the context for the nuclear dispute surrounding the confrontation.
In energy markets, US Energy Information Administration data showed commercial crude inventories rose 4.7 million barrels to 414.4 million barrels in the week ended November 6, 2026. The inventory data add to the backdrop of a week in which risks to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz persisted. The available information did not include a documented Brent crude price or its weekly change, so this report cites no specific price move. The published inventory figures remain the direct market indicator available for the period. Maritime and diplomatic developments keep shipping security at the forefront of regional monitoring.