Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao stated that Iranian attacks caused extensive damage to Naval Support Activity Bahrain, the headquarters of US Naval Forces Central Command and the Fifth Fleet. The Navy is now evaluating the future of this key Middle East base.

Cao told The Epoch Times that the strikes left the USS Abraham Lincoln crew with "no place for them to pull in." He confirmed a task force is reviewing whether US forces need to return to Bahrain, indicating the Navy has not settled on the installation's future.

Satellite Imagery Confirms Destruction

Iran targeted Bahrain repeatedly after US and Israeli strikes began on Feb. 28. Associated Press analysis of Planet Labs imagery from March showed:

• A major building at the Fifth Fleet base destroyed
• Two radar radomes destroyed
• Another building damaged

The attacks occurred amid a wider Iranian campaign against US military sites and shipping in the Persian Gulf. Earlier strikes had already raised concerns about security and energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

Operational Disruptions Continue

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle warned against expecting a quick return during an Aug. 31 town hall. "We're not getting back in there anytime soon," Caudle said.

The damage complicates US operations around Hormuz. Reuters reported in August that traffic through the strait fell sharply from prewar levels as the conflict disrupted commercial shipping. Bahrain reported another Iranian drone attack in June, with Iran's Revolutionary Guard claiming it targeted US military positions.