The base has been heavily targeted by Iran since the US and Israel launched airstrikes against the Islamic Republic in late February
The US Navy is assessing what to do with its key base in Bahrain after Iranian strikes caused extensive damage to the facility, with a senior US official acknowledging the scale of the attack.
“They blew the hell out of Bahrain,” Cao said in an interview with The Epoch Times, published Thursday, referring to Naval Support Activity Bahrain (NASB), the headquarters of US Naval Forces Central Command and the US Fifth Fleet.
The base has been heavily targeted by Iran since the US and Israel launched airstrikes against the Islamic Republic in late February. NASB serves as a major logistics hub for the US Navy's operations in the Middle East.
Cao said the Navy was now considering its options for the facility, including whether it should be repaired. “I have a task force that’s looking at that,” he told the publication.
The extent of the damage has already raised questions over when US forces can return to the base. In late August, Chief of Naval Operations Adm Daryl Caudle said sailors would not be returning anytime soon, including to retrieve their personal belongings.
“We’re not getting back in there anytime soon,” Caudle said during a town hall on August 31. “I just want to be completely honest with that.” Multiple US aircraft were damaged in a separate Iranian ballistic missile strike on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, CBS News reported, citing sources. An A-10 Thunderbolt was reportedly left with a missing wing, while around eight F-15 fighter jets suffered light damage but were later returned to service.
Iranian forces have also targeted US naval assets and shipping interests as the conflict has intensified. The conflict has also put pressure on vital energy and shipping routes.
