IRGC claims strike on US radar in Bahrain and sabotage of two supertankers in the Strait of Hormuz

On the night of November 13, 2026, several incidents occurred in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, according to claims made by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The organization reported the destruction of an American radar station in Bahrain, an attack on a radar station on the Omani island of Didamar in the southern part of the strait, and the sabotage of two oil supertankers. The IRGC presented these events as the result of its naval forces' operations, however, none of the mentioned countries — the USA, Bahrain, or Oman — have confirmed or denied these claims in available publications.

Claims of strikes on radars

According to materials citing the IRGC, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed the destruction of an American radar located in Bahrain. Simultaneously, reports indicate the IRGC announced an attack on a radar station on the Omani island of Didamar, located in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz. Thus, within a single time window, the organization attributes to itself strikes on radar facilities in two different jurisdictions — on Bahraini territory and on Omani territory.

Sabotage of two supertankers

In a separate statement, the IRGC press office reported that "last night" two supertankers carrying a total of over 4 million barrels of oil were sabotaged in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Corps, both vessels were following an "unauthorized route" despite "repeated warnings from the IRGC Navy's Strait of Hormuz vessel traffic control center regarding the dangers of the southern route," and ceased movement due to a "powerful explosion." The tankers themselves were labeled as "violators" in the IRGC statement.

Footage and the question of verification

Nighttime footage of the incidents is being circulated in the public domain, including images marked "UNCLASSIFIED," showing a massive explosion, a plume of smoke and fire near the coastline with reflections on the water. However, the origin and specific link of this footage to the declared targets — the Bahrain radar, the Didamar station, or the tankers — have not been disclosed in the provided materials. There are no independent confirmations from the USA, Oman, Bahrain, or international observers in the provided sources, leaving the actual picture of events largely one-sided.

Significance of the events

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's key oil routes, and reports of the sabotage of tankers carrying millions of barrels of oil, alongside strikes on radar facilities on the territory of third countries, automatically increase regional tensions. Even in the absence of independent verification, each of the IRGC's claims, if confirmed, points to a direct impact on shipping and infrastructure related to military and civilian facilities near the strait. Further developments will depend on official reactions from the USA, Oman, and Bahrain, and on whether independent evidence of the incidents emerges.