Key facts
- Iran has warned Bahrain to "know their limits" and not provoke harsh decisions from Tehran.
- The warning comes after Iran launched missiles at US military bases in the Middle East.
- Bahrain has requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting to hold Iran accountable.
- Iran accused Bahrain of providing significant support to Washington and hosting the US Fifth Fleet.
- The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps also threatened US bases in the region.
Iran has issued a strong warning to Bahrain, with Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, stating that Bahrainis are being given a "serious warning" to "know their limits" and avoid forcing Iran into "harsh decisions." Velayati specifically accused Bahrain of offering significant support to Washington and hosting the US Fifth Fleet, while also alleging it is inciting hatred against Iran.
This escalation follows Iran's launch of missiles targeting US military bases in the Middle East. The strikes were reportedly in retaliation for recent US actions in and near the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps also issued a separate warning, stating that American bases in the region would "experience hell" if attacks on Iran continued.
In response to the Iranian missile strikes, Bahrain has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address Tehran's actions. The US has deployed its Patriot missile defense system to counter incoming rockets. The Iranian Foreign Ministry had previously threatened to attack all American military assets in the region. The strikes, described as one of Iran's largest operations in a decade, were in retaliation for what Iran termed "Operation Epic Fury" by the US and Israel. The US military had moved ships out of the Bahrain base earlier in the week, anticipating a retaliatory strike.