Photo courtesy of Anadolu
Iran seized on comments from a senior US Navy official Friday as evidence that its attacks had inflicted significant damage on the American naval headquarters in Bahrain.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi welcomed remarks attributed to Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao about the condition of Naval Support Activity Bahrain, saying Washington had acknowledged the impact of the Iranian strikes.
Cao reportedly described severe damage at the installation, which serves as headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet and is a major hub for American maritime operations in the Middle East.
The disruption also complicated operations involving the USS Abraham Lincoln, with Cao saying damage to the Bahrain facility left the aircraft carrier without its usual location to pull into during its lengthy deployment.
The extent of the destruction had previously emerged through satellite imagery and open-source assessments, but comments from senior Navy officials have provided unusually direct confirmation that the installation suffered substantial damage.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle earlier indicated that US forces were unlikely to return to Naval Support Activity Bahrain soon because of the condition of the base.
Araghchi portrayed the acknowledgment as vindication of Tehran’s account of its attacks and renewed Iran’s criticism of US military involvement in the conflict.
The developments surrounding Bahrain have also drawn attention to the strain on the USS Abraham Lincoln, which reached Thailand earlier this month following an unusually long deployment that included about 200 days in a combat zone.