Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated dramatically after Tehran claimed responsibility for a strike on the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. The reported attack came shortly after CENTCOM launched strikes on Iranian military targets following the loss of a U.S. Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described the operation as the first phase of a wider retaliation campaign and warned that further American actions could trigger even more severe responses. The latest developments have raised fears of a broader regional conflict across the Gulf and Middle East.