Anadolu: Kao reports significant damage to US Navy base in Bahrain after Iranian attacks
In Bahrain, acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao, according to Anadolu Agency, citing The Epoch Times, reported significant damage to US naval facilities as a result of Iranian attacks. This includes Naval Support Activity Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet.
According to Anadolu, Cao described the scale of the destruction in an interview as very significant. The agency notes that this was one of the few public acknowledgements by a senior US official of the extent of damage to naval infrastructure in Bahrain.
Impact on the aircraft carrier
According to Cao, the damage to the base also affected the operations of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln: the crew had nowhere to bring the ship in. Analyses of satellite imagery and open-source data had previously also indicated substantial damage to US facilities in Bahrain during Iranian attacks at the beginning of the war.
Earlier this month, the highest-ranking military officer in the US Navy, Admiral Daryl Caudle, said that the fleet would not return to Naval Support Activity Bahrain in the near future because of the damage. Responding to a question about the need to restore the base's operations to support intensive deployments, Cao said that a task force was studying the issue.
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Prolonged deployment
USS Abraham Lincoln was on a prolonged deployment for nearly nine months, including approximately 200 days in the combat zone. Earlier this month, the aircraft carrier arrived in Laem Chabang, Thailand.
The prolonged deployment drew the attention of lawmakers and sailors' families amid reports of food and water shortages, plumbing problems, and deteriorating crew morale. Concerns were also reported over sailors' mental health and the risk of self-harm. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said these reports about conditions aboard the aircraft carrier were substantially distorted.
Cao's nomination
Cao has served as acting US Navy Secretary since April 22. On September 1, US President Donald Trump nominated him for the post on a permanent basis. Congress must grant a special waiver for confirmation because Cao left Navy service in 2021, while the law generally requires a seven-year break for former military personnel before they can be appointed to lead military departments.
