Satellite Images Reveal Severe Damage to U.S. Bahrain Base, With Israel Under Review as a Future Site

New satellite images published overnight by The Wall Street Journal show for the first time the full extent of damage to the U.S. naval base in Bahrain during the war with Iran. The analysis, based on satellite photos, social media images, and interviews with current and former service members, says successful Iranian launches penetrated the base’s defenses and caused broad damage to headquarters and at least 12 other buildings.

The base, about 240 kilometers from Iran’s southern coast, has long served as a key anchor for the U.S. Navy in the region. It can host any type of U.S. Navy ship and has played a critical role in countering weapons smuggling to Iran, mine laying, and protection against attacks on tankers. It is also the only U.S. base in the Middle East where families can live, functioning like a small town with restaurants, a school, and even a softball field.

According to the report, Iran hit the dock area, the central part of the base where administrative and command buildings are located, and the warehouse complex. One image showed damage to Fifth Fleet headquarters, which one source said is no longer usable and would cost about $200 million to rebuild. A security training building was destroyed, an emergency-management warehouse with ambulances was damaged, and other hits included a freshwater tank, another dockside warehouse, the main dining hall and housing for 450 personnel, and more storage buildings. Rebuilding these sites is estimated at $386 million, not including equipment inside them.

Mackenzie Eaglen, who heads the congressionally created National Commission on the Future of the Navy, said the attacks “exposed vulnerabilities from end to end” at a base built long before Iran had today’s precise missile and drone capabilities. Retired Vice Adm. John “Fozzie” Miller, who once commanded U.S. naval forces in the Middle East, said, “We have been there for more than 50 years, and the base developed the way it developed. I think there are some things we would do differently.”

The report says the Trump administration previously pressured satellite companies to limit access to images showing damage to U.S. assets in the region and declined to discuss the destruction costs with Congress. The Pentagon has not yet publicly updated the extent of the damage, while CENTCOM spokesman Tim Hawkins said nobody was killed and the attacks did not significantly affect operations. He said the U.S. prioritized protecting people over buildings, adding that Iran fired more than 8,000 missiles and drones and only two strikes caused casualties. Officials are now said to be reconsidering the U.S. force posture in the region, including possible repairs in Bahrain, reduced presence in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and moving personnel to bases farther from Iranian missile and drone range. Israel is among the locations being considered for a new base.