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Washington is grappling with severe damage to its military infrastructure across the Middle East following months of intense combat with Iran, highlighted by a rare public admission from senior leadership acknowledging catastrophic destruction at its primary naval base in the Gulf.
Hung Cao, the acting secretary of the US Navy, disclosed the severity of the damage to Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain during a candid discussion with The Epoch Times. Cao confirmed that Iranian strikes had effectively devastated the facility, stating bluntly that adversary forces "blew the hell out of Bahrain." The revelation has forced the Department of Defense to reconsider the future viability of its regional command hubs six months into the broader confrontation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
The frank assessment quickly drew a public reaction from Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took to social media to highlight Cao’s remarks, expressing appreciation for what he termed the acting secretary's candor. Araghchi asserted on X that Iranian armed forces had deliberately and successfully crippled the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, framing the action as part of a wider campaign against installations that facilitate American military operations in the region.
The escalating conflict began in late February when coordinated American and Israeli airstrikes struck targets across Iran. In response, Iranian forces executed a sustained wave of retaliatory bombardments between February and June, systematically targeting forward American military installations scattered across several host nations in the Middle East.
NSA Bahrain, situated in the Juffair district just outside the capital city of Manama, has long served as the cornerstone of American maritime power in regional waters. The extensive compound houses both the US Fifth Fleet and US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), serving as an indispensable operational nerve center for naval movements, communications, and logistical planning.
Historically, the base played a critical support role during major American military campaigns, including serving as the central naval hub during the 2003 invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq. Under standard operating conditions, the facility provided comprehensive sustainment to vessels deployed at sea, coordinated operations at distant outposts, and accommodated thousands of military service members and civilian personnel stationed on the island nation.
An extensive investigation conducted by The Wall Street Journal, which examined satellite photography, verified social media imagery, and gathered firsthand accounts from military personnel, revealed that the destruction at NSA Bahrain was far more extensive than early Pentagon statements had suggested. According to the reporting, the central command facility was heavily impacted, alongside severe structural damage inflicted on at least a dozen other key buildings inside the complex.
The scale of destruction has cast doubt on whether the base can function again in the foreseeable future. Admiral Daryl Caudle, the most senior uniformed officer in the US Navy, noted earlier this month that the Bahrain facility is not expected to return to operational service anytime soon due to the sheer magnitude of the devastation.
In response to the crisis, Cao revealed that the Navy has formed a dedicated task force to review options for the headquarters. This panel is currently assessing whether rebuilding and rehabilitating the complex is feasible or if American forces will need to adapt to a permanently altered operational presence in the Gulf.
The neutralization of NSA Bahrain has produced severe operational reverberations across naval forces at sea, particularly affecting the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group. Without access to its primary regional harbor, the carrier and its accompanying vessels were left without a viable docking facility to conduct essential maintenance, replenish stores, or rotate crew members.
This lack of shore infrastructure contributed to an arduous, nearly nine-month deployment that created serious hardship for personnel aboard the aircraft carrier. Reports indicated that the prolonged mission sparked a severe mental health crisis among the crew, leading to alarming incidents where sailors attempted to jump overboard before the warship finally managed to dock at Laem Chabang in Thailand earlier this month.
The vulnerability of American assets in the region extends beyond naval bases to critical aviation facilities. Overnight on Tuesday, Iranian strikes targeted Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, also referred to as the Al-Azraq base, which serves as a major station for American air wings and military personnel.
Following the attack, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced through the Tasnim news agency that it had unleashed powerful missile salvos aimed at crippling US aviation infrastructure. The IRGC claimed its strikes successfully impacted shelters, maintenance facilities, and flight preparation zones housing high-end combat aircraft, including F-35, F-16, and F-15 fighter jets.
Jordanian military authorities reported that their air defenses intercepted 18 out of the 20 incoming missiles, with two projectiles landing in open desert terrain. To counter the Iranian barrage, American forces launched roughly 30 Patriot interceptor missiles, an engagement that comes amid growing concerns over rapidly shrinking US stockpiles of air defense munitions.
Despite the high interception rate, several American aircraft on the ground were damaged in the assault. According to reporting from CBS News, an A-10 Thunderbolt attack jet, commonly known as the Warthog, was struck directly and lost an entire wing, while eight F-15 fighter jets suffered minor damage before being repaired and returned to active service.
The missile strike against the Al-Azraq installation marked the latest escalation in a tit-for-tat cycle of violence across the region. The bombardment came shortly after US forces carried out attacks against five Iranian oil tankers operating in and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, an action Washington had launched in retaliation for an earlier Iranian assault on a US Navy warship.
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