Facts the Pentagon Concealed: US Base in Bahrain Devastated by Iranian Bombardment, Media Investigation Reveals

An investigation by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has revealed that the Pentagon has been concealing the extent of damage to a United States (US) base in Bahrain resulting from missile and drone attacks by Iran. Repeated strikes against Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain between late February and June caused severe to critical damage to the US military infrastructure. The WSJ findings, based on satellite imagery, social media video clips, and interviews with current and former US military members, indicate the damage was far greater than the Pentagon acknowledged. The scale of the destruction is reportedly prompting countries in the region to re-evaluate the US military footprint in the Middle East. Some officials cited by the WSJ are considering whether some bases should be relocated, reduced, or rebuilt to anticipate the growing threat from Iranian missiles and drones. The investigation revealed that several Iranian missiles and drones successfully penetrated US air defence systems and struck strategic parts of NSA Bahrain. Among the damaged facilities were the main control centre headquarters, ten other buildings, and two satellite communication terminals used for military operations. While the Pentagon stated that no US personnel were killed at the base and operations continued without major disruption, most US personnel had been evacuated before the major Iranian strikes occurred. Responding to questions about the attacks, US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins defended the US military strategy. “CENTCOM has the right to prioritise the protection of the people inside the buildings, and our strategy is to protect the people who work there. Iran fired more than 8,000 missiles and drones and only two struck and resulted in casualties,” Hawkins told the WSJ. According to Hawkins, the US Armed Forces suffered minimal damage in the war with Iran, while “the US struck more than 13,500 targets,” he added.