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.