Acting Navy secretary says Iran ‘blew the hell out of’ US base in Bahrain

The Hill ^ | 09/10/26 | Filip Timotija

[Mount Athos]

The acting U.S. Navy secretary Hung Cao said that the Iranian military severely damaged a major Navy installation in Bahrain, acknowledging the extent of damage sustained by the base during the conflict.

“They blew the hell out of Bahrain,” Cao said in an interview with The Epoch Times, which was published Thursday, referring to the Naval Support Activity Bahrain (NASB), which serves as the headquarters for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

The base has been heavily targeted by Iran after the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes against the Islamic Republic in late February.

The Navy has relied on NASB as its main logistics hub in the Middle East.

Cao said the Navy is weighing what to do with NASB, including whether to repair the base.

“I have a task force that’s looking at that,” he told the news outlet.

In late August, the Navy’s top officer said it would be a while before the service branch would return to the base, including to retrieve the personal goods from sailors.

“We’re not getting back in there anytime soon,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said during a town hall on Aug. 31. “I just want to be completely honest with that.”

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TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Iran; News/Current Events; War
KEYWORDS: bahrain; hungcao; shiite; theshill

[Paladin2]

The well in Qom needs to be on the target list.

9/11 is tomorrow and Islam [especially the She-ite branch needs to get a mighty smote].

Karbella too.

[BobL]

“Acting Navy secretary says Iran ‘blew the hell out of’ US base in Bahrain”

I guess Tulsi was right...

[stanne]

“Acting Navy secretary says Iran ‘blew the hell out of’ US base in Bahrain”

I guess Tulsi was right...“

Care to elaborate?

I doubt it

[Repeal The 17th]

Why is U.S. Navy secretary doing an interview with the Epoch Times?

[delta7]

Time to circle the wagons. The Neo con war cheerleaders have failed. Best next move? Get out of NATO. The EU can start managing their own affairs, as well as Taiwan. Pulling out now conserves much of what we may need down the road to preserve our continent.

[BobL]

She would have been against fighting Iran at this time, due to being tied up supplying weapons to Ukraine, given her past reluctance to go on military ‘adventures’ (especially Syria). Obviously I have no direct evidence to that effect, but the timing does pencil-out, and she has too much class to go public with her concerns.

[SpaceBar]

Using Russian targetting intel.

[stanne]

Ya. I think she never had the big picture. Class? Blaming her quitting on her husband? Why not say she disagrees with the agenda?

[kaktuskid]

Take out ALL of Iran’s energy system. No refineries, gas plants, electric plants, pipelines. All of their rail lines, highway bridges, airport runways and overpasses. You can’t move armaments around without fuel.

[BobL]

“Ya. I think she never had the big picture.”

She did with Syria - she knew that country would become a mess if we ‘won’, and of course she was right.

[sauropod]

+1

[Gunslingr3]

The United States Fifth Fleet is the primary naval force based in Bahrain. Its headquarters and garrison are located at the Naval Support Activity Bahrain (NSA Bahrain) in Manama.

United States Fifth Fleet – Quick facts:

Branch: United States Navy

Area of Responsibility: Approximately 2.5 million square miles, covering the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean.

Command: It operates as a component of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and shares its commander and headquarters with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT).

History: Originally established during World War II in 1944, it was deactivated in 1947 and reactivated in 1995 to oversee operations in the Middle East.

Current Status: Evacuated February 28, 2026. As of late August 2026, the Navy has stated that personnel will not return to the base for the "foreseeable future" due to ongoing damage and security threats.

[Gunslingr3]

Using Russian targetting intel.

Last century thinking.

The Chinese have the good stuff now.

Iranian forces are using AI-processed satellite imagery from a Chinese company to improve targeting of US military installations in the Middle East.

According to ABC News on April 5, officials from the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assess that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is using datasets produced by Chinese geospatial AI firm MizarVision to support missile and drone strike planning.

The report states that the imagery includes automated object recognition and tagging, allowing operators to identify military assets and infrastructure much faster than through traditional analysis.

According to ABC News, MizarVision has released high-resolution satellite imagery annotated with AI-based identification of key military features, including aircraft, shelters, fuel storage sites, radar systems, and troop concentrations.

The platform integrates machine learning models trained to classify objects based on visual signatures, thermal patterns, and contextual indicators. It also attaches geospatial metadata, making the data easier to integrate into targeting and command systems.

[alexander_busek]

“They blew the hell out of Bahrain,” Cao said

When, exactly, did the Iranians do that?

Was Cao talking about damage sustained in the very first days of the conflict? Or is he referencing something the Iranians did only recently, after we destroyed 90% of their military potential?

I hate the lack of clarity in reporting on such statements!

Regards,

[Mount Athos]

before mid march

[stanne]

So we shouldn’t have won? Because Syria became a mess?

I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. Sounds like a lot of TDS

[BobL]

“Class? Blaming her quitting on her husband? Why not say she disagrees with the agenda?”

Given the timing of her departure, saying she disagreed with Trump would have made her opposition to Iran obvious. She was caught in a trap - either she dumps on Trump, or she ‘dumps’ on her husband, and respecting the chain of command as she does (unlike just about everyone else who worked for Trump), she took the only path available.

She’s not done, she’ll be running in 2028, and she’ll do quite well, since Trump decided to follow Lindsey Graham on foreign policy (making sure we always lose), rather than her more cautious approach.

[Bobalu]

We are just barely past the new moon over the battle area so it is very dark... always a plus for an attack.

It is Sept 11, a notable date...

The strategic oil reserve is dwindling...

The forces on station are getting restless...

The fraud-ridden midterms are fast approaching..

It seems an opportune time to do whatever needs doing...

Next 48hrs may see the start of something big...

[BobL]

“So we shouldn’t have won? Because Syria became a mess?”

My definition of “winning” doesn’t include installing a terrorist leader as head of state, particularly one that also massacres Christians. But you’re welcome to your opinion of “winning”.

As to having no idea what I’m talking about...you’ll soon enough, given the very recent events in Iran, Yeman, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine. You’ll learn even sooner if you stop watching CNN and start considering other sources.