IRGC drones strike US base in Bahrain; US intercepts two
The attack on Al-Rifaa base raises the stakes for US-Iran nuclear talks and Israeli security planning.
IRGC drones strike US base in Bahrain; US intercepts two — On Sunday morning, November 15, 2026, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched a drone attack on a US base in Bahrain, targeting an air defense radar at Al-Rifaa helicopter base with six drones. The US military confirmed it intercepted two of them without any harm caused. [^1] The attack comes as the US intelligence community estimates Iran holds between 1,500 and 2,500 missiles in its arsenal and has restored approximately 20% of its ballistic missile production capacity since Operation Roaring Lion. [^5] A senior official was quoted: 'There is no point in fighting the endless swarm of drones – we must destroy the decision-making chain itself.' [^1] This reflects a growing sense that defensive measures alone are insufficient. Israeli security officials are preparing for three concerning scenarios: a surprise Iranian attack on US interests, including Israel; a sudden US decision to strike Iran without giving Israel sufficient advance warning; or a diplomatic agreement that would allow Tehran to resume uranium enrichment. Mossad Director Roman Gofman is in the United States, where he met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Israel transmitted intelligence to Washington about an Iranian plot to assassinate US President Donald Trump and senior officials. [^4] Meanwhile, shipping costs to Iran have soared up to 14-fold, and more than 4,000 trucks are stuck at the Iran-Turkey border. The dilemma facing policymakers is stark: pursue a military strike on Iran, or engage in secret diplomacy with a regime that is weaker and more divided than before, as analyst Sever Plocker argues. Shin Bet questions Joint List activists about rival Ra'am party — The Shin Bet called in activists from the majority-Arab Joint List party in recent days and pressed them to provide information about the rival Islamist Ra'am party, according to a report.[^1] One activist told Channel 12 that a Shin Bet investigator highlighted their religious differences while encouraging him to cooperate, saying: 'You're a Christian. They're Islamists. You need to cooperate with us against them. Give me something.'[^1] The Joint Li