The Israel–Iran war exploded onto a new front overnight as Iranian missiles slammed into the US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, in what Tehran calls a “first round of direct revenge” for joint US–Israeli strikes on Iranian soil.

Residents of Manama’s Al Juffair district were jolted awake by multiple thunderous blasts, as air‑raid sirens wailed and air‑defense batteries roared to life around the waterfront base. Witnesses reported bright flashes over the harbor followed by a deep orange glow from within the perimeter, as emergency vehicles raced toward the installation through deserted streets.

US Central Command says a “coordinated barrage” of ballistic missiles and one‑way attack drones targeted critical command facilities, pier infrastructure and housing areas. Initial reports confirm casualties among US and allied personnel and “significant structural damage” to some buildings, though key command‑and‑control systems are said to remain operational.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard quickly claimed responsibility, boasting that its aerospace forces had struck the “heart of American naval aggression in the Gulf.” State media in Tehran aired triumphant graphics of missiles arcing toward Bahrain, framing the operation as a direct answer to US involvement in strikes on Iran’s leadership and military sites.

In Washington, the President convened an emergency National Security Council meeting, vowing a “swift, calibrated but unmistakable response” while ordering US forces worldwide onto heightened alert. Analysts warn that by openly targeting the 5th Fleet, Tehran has crossed a threshold that could turn a contained regional war into a full‑scale US–Iran confrontation with global consequences.