Skip to content
SPECIAL

THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT

READ MORE

How Iran devastated an American naval base — and caused a U.S. recalculation

The Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness, Anthony J. Tata, speaks with Mineman 1st class Ashton Ledbetter at NSA Bahrain on February 11, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Raphael McCorey)

By Anika Arora Seth, Shelby Holliday, Denise Blostein and Milàn Czerny

When the Iranian missiles and drones came for the nerve center of America’s naval operations in the Middle East, some of them hit their mark.

The U.S. Navy base in Bahrain was repeatedly targeted between late February and June. Strikes that got through caused extensive damage, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of satellite imagery, social-media footage and interviews with current and former servicemembers—damage that the Pentagon hasn’t publicly acknowledged.

Hit hard were the command headquarters and at least a dozen other buildings, along with two satellite communications terminals. 

Read more at Wall Street Journal

Click to listen highlighted text!