Shocking footage captured the moment an Iranian drone slammed into a high-rise building in Bahrain, sending plumes of smoke billowing into the sky near the US Navy’s key base in the region.
The attack happened early Saturday morning in Manama, Bahrain’s bustling capital. Eyewitness videos show a low-flying drone, marked with colours resembling the Iranian flag, hurtling toward a tall residential tower in the Hoora neighbourhood.
The building erupts in a fireball upon impact, with debris scattering and thick black smoke rising high. This spot sits about a 15-minute drive from Naval Support Activity Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet. No one expected things to escalate this fast, but here we are, watching tensions boil over in real time.
Bahrain’s government quickly confirmed the strike. They said several residential spots took hits, and rescue teams rushed in to handle fires and pull people out.
At least one person died, and reports suggest more injuries, though exact numbers remain unclear as operations continue. The Bahraini Interior Ministry urged everyone to stay calm and head to safe areas when sirens blared across the island. Imagine hearing those wails echo through the streets – it’s the kind of sound that stops you in your tracks.
This wasn’t some isolated incident. It came as part of Iran’s swift payback after joint US and Israeli airstrikes rocked Tehran earlier that day. Dubbed “Operation Epic Fury”, those strikes targeted sites near Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s offices, along with nuclear and military spots.
Iran didn’t waste time responding – they fired ballistic missiles and drones at bases in five countries, including Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
In Bahrain, the focus landed on the US naval hub in the Juffair district. Videos from locals show explosions lighting up the skyline, with mushroom clouds forming over what looks like radar installations and other military structures.
One clip, shared widely on social media, captures a Shahed-136 drone – Iran’s go-to kamikaze model – diving straight into a radar setup at the base. The impact sends a massive orange blast skyward, followed by dark smoke that hangs over the area like a bad omen.
Another video, filmed from a boat on the water, shows missiles streaking in from afar, detonating near high-rises and port facilities. People on the ground can be seen running for cover, cars swerving, and chaos unfolding in broad daylight. It’s raw, unfiltered stuff that brings the reality home.
US officials reported no American casualties so far, but the strikes damaged buildings on and off the base. A US Navy spokesperson said air defences kicked in, intercepting some incoming threats, but not all.
The Patriot and THAAD systems, meant to shield against this exact kind of assault, apparently let a few slip through. That’s raised questions about readiness in the Gulf, where the Fifth Fleet oversees vital shipping lanes like the Strait of Hormuz. If you’re shipping oil or goods through there, this is the last thing you want to see.
Iran’s state media claimed the attacks as part of “Operation True Promise 4”, aimed at US and Israeli targets. They released their own footage, showing launches from Iranian soil and impacts in Bahrain.
One video even features an American sailor’s panicked reaction—nervous laughs turning to shouts as explosions rock nearby. “Oh f**k, a missile actually got through,” he says, capturing the shock. It’s gone viral, racking up thousands of views on platforms like X and Instagram.
The bigger picture here is scary. This marks a direct hit on US assets, something that could pull the region into wider conflict. President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu have called for Iranians to rise up against their leaders, but Tehran’s hitting back hard.
Explosions echoed in other spots too—Qatar downed two missiles, sirens wailed in Abu Dhabi, and Jordan reported blasts. OPEC+ is even talking about ramping up oil supply to steady markets amid the mess.
Locals in Bahrain are reeling. Some videos show civilians cheering the strikes, while others depict fear and confusion. One post on X shows people celebrating a drone hit on a US radar, but that’s mixed with reports of folks fleeing residential areas.
Bahrain, a small island nation hosting thousands of US personnel, finds itself caught in the crossfire. Its government condemned the attacks as a sovereignty breach, but with ties to both Washington and regional powers, it’s walking a tightrope.
As the dust settles—or rather, the smoke clears—questions pile up. How did defences fail? Will this lead to more US strikes? And what about civilians in these high-rises? For now, firefighting crews battle blazes, and the world watches nervously.
This isn’t just another flare-up; it feels like the start of something bigger. Stay tuned, because things in the Middle East can change in a heartbeat.
