Iran Claims Strikes on a U.S. Radar and a Tanker; U.S. Says It Downed Two Drones

Tensions between the United States and Iran stayed high in the Persian Gulf this week. Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed it destroyed an American early-warning radar in Bahrain, and said a liquefied petroleum gas tanker struck a mine while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Guard said the radar attack came in response to an American strike on a telecommunications tower in southern Iran. The Associated Press reported the claims on Friday, November 13.

The U.S. military told a different story. Central Command said it shot down two Iranian attack drones headed toward Bahrain and reported no injuries or damage, denying that any radar was hit. Iran's claims about the radar and the tanker could not be independently verified. Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the region's waters.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that carries a large share of the world's oil and natural gas shipments, has been a flashpoint since the conflict between the two countries began in February. Iran has made near-daily claims of striking commercial ships in the strait. The United Nations' International Maritime Organization keeps a running count of attacks in the strait and the wider Middle East, and that register has now recorded 136 incidents since the fighting began. It says 25 seafarers have been killed, with many more injured or missing.

For now, Washington is leaning on economic pressure rather than new strikes. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that "the economic pain that we are inflicting on that regime is so great that there's no need for military action."

The story matters at home for two reasons. First, trouble in the strait can push up oil prices, which feed into gasoline and home heating costs just as winter begins. Any lasting disruption to shipping there tends to show up in energy prices over time. Second, many American families have loved ones serving in the region, where U.S. forces remain on alert. The situation stayed unsettled heading into the weekend, with both sides trading claims and no sign of formal talks.