‘Blew the hell out of it’: How Iran damaged US bases in Bahrain, Jordan
The acting US Navy secretary, Hung Cao, said Bahrain’s Naval Support Activity — long home to the US Fifth Fleet and NAVCENT — suffered heavy damage in recent months of strikes tied to the wider conflict with Iran. Iranian forces also struck the Muwaffaq Salti (Al-Azraq) air base in Jordan, damaging US aircraft despite reported interceptions by Jordanian air defenses.
Why It Matters
The disclosures underscore that US regional command and logistics facilities are being materially affected by the Iran-related campaign, raising questions about the viability of key basing and operational hubs amid repeated strikes. Decisions on repair, relocation or force posture could affect US naval and air operations across the Middle East.
Key Facts
- US official who acknowledged damage: Hung Cao, acting secretary of the US Navy
- Location of damaged naval base: Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain in Juffair, near Manama
- Timeframe of strikes on NSA Bahrain: Repeatedly targeted between February and June, according to open-source imagery and reports
- Command housed at NSA Bahrain: US Fifth Fleet and US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT)
- US Navy assessment: Task force reviewing whether to repair the NSA Bahrain; Admiral Daryl Caudle said the base will not resume service "anytime soon".
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told The Epoch Times that the United States’ naval support installation in Bahrain suffered severe damage during recent months of fighting linked to the wider US and Israeli campaign against Iran. Open-source satellite imagery and other reporting indicate the Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain — long the region’s logistics hub and home to the US Fifth Fleet and NAVCENT — sustained heavy hits between late February and June.
Investigations by news outlets that analysed imagery, social media and interviews concluded several buildings, including command facilities, were struck in the retaliatory strikes that followed air attacks on Iran in late February. Cao said the Navy has assembled a task force to determine whether the installation should be repaired, moved or otherwise reconfigured; the service’s top uniformed officer, Admiral Daryl Caudle, has said the base will not return to service "anytime soon."
Separately, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched missile strikes on Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base (known as Al-Azraq), claiming significant damage to maintenance and shelter areas for F-35, F-16 and F-15 aircraft. Jordanian authorities reported intercepting 18 of 20 incoming missiles, with two falling in open areas, while US forces employed about 30 Patriot interceptors. US reporting cited sources saying multiple US aircraft were damaged, including one A-10 losing a wing and several F-15s sustaining lighter damage.
Iranian officials publicly acknowledged the strikes and Iran’s foreign minister commented on Cao’s admission. The Al-Azraq strikes were described by Iranian sources as retaliation after US strikes on Iranian-linked tankers in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The damage to both the Bahrain and Jordan facilities has prompted US commanders to reassess how they sustain presence and operations in the region amid ongoing attacks.
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