Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao confirmed this week that a major American military hub in Bahrain was badly damaged by Iranian attacks — and he was unsure whether keeping US forces there is feasible long-term.
“They blow the hell out of Bahrain,” Cao told the Epoch Times in an interview published Thursday, referring to Naval Support Activity Bahrain, home of the US Fifth Fleet and US Central Command’s waterborne forces.
Cao added that “I have a task force looking at” whether the base could or should be restored, the first official confirmation of the extent of combat damage to the facility.
Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi taunted Cao in a post on X early Friday, saying: “We appreciate the candor of Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao. Our powerful Armed Forces did indeed ‘blow the hell out of the 5th Fleet HQ in Bahrain,’ as well as other bases supporting U.S. aggression. The American people deserve better than footing the bill for Israel’s wars.”
