Pentagon acknowledges Iran damaged US 5th Fleet facilities in Bahrain
Quick Look
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao acknowledged that Iran inflicted serious damage on US 5th Fleet facilities in Bahrain, stating the strikes 'blew the hell out of Bahrain' and left the USS Abraham Lincoln with no place to dock, amid reports of sailor distress and equipment issues.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The US Navy's 5th Fleet is headquartered in Bahrain and oversees operations in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. The USS Abraham Lincoln had been deployed in the region as part of US-Israeli operations against Iran.
WASHINGTON, September 10. /TASS/. The Pentagon has acknowledged that Iran managed to inflict serious damage on US 5th Fleet facilities in Bahrain.
As Washington-based The Epoch Times correspondent Ryan Morgan reported on his X page, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told him in an interview that Iranβs strikes "blew the hell out of Bahrain." Bahrain is home, among other facilities, to the headquarters of the US Navyβs 5th Fleet, whose area of operations includes the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and other regional waters. According to Morgan, Caoβs statement can be regarded as the first open high-level US acknowledgment of the extent of the damage inflicted by Iran on US military facilities in Bahrain.
Cao also confirmed that damage to Bahrain left the USS Abraham Lincoln "no place" to dock. Earlier, Military Times reported that several service members aboard the Abraham Lincoln, which was involved in the US-Israeli operation against Iran, had attempted to take their own lives. Excessive workload and exhaustion were cited among the causes of the sailorsβ emotional instability. MS Now reported that the aircraft carrierβs prolonged deployment had caused problems with its equipment, including systems used to launch and land aircraft.
Finally, Cao said that the US Navy is now wondering whether it should rebuild the bases in Bahrain that were destroyed at all.
The US secretaries of the Air Force, Navy and Army are not members of the presidential Cabinet. They report to the Pentagon chief and are responsible for developing their respective branches of the US Armed Forces.
What to Watch
AI outlook β possibilities, not facts
The US Navy will conduct a formal assessment of whether to rebuild damaged facilities in Bahrain.
Likely Β· Within weeks
Iran will continue to assert its capability to challenge US military presence in the region through similar actions.
Possible Β· Within months
Open Questions
- What is the full extent and cost of the damage to US facilities in Bahrain?
- Will the US decide to rebuild its military bases in Bahrain?
- What specific actions led to the reported distress among sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln?
- How will this acknowledgment affect US military posture and strategy in the Middle East?
