Iran Strikes on NSA Bahrain Expose US Gulf Vulnerabilities: Opinion

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Military Times

31 Aug 2026 20:02

Iran's strikes on NSA Bahrain severely damaged the US Fifth Fleet’s key regional hub, exposing vulnerabilities in Washington’s Gulf military posture and disrupting naval logistics.

A retired US Navy captain has warned that the extensive damage inflicted on Naval Support Activity Bahrain during Iran’s retaliatory strikes has exposed serious weaknesses in Washington’s military posture across the Gulf, with consequences extending far beyond the destruction of the base itself.

Writing in an opinion piece for Military Times, retired Capt. John Cordle said the attack on NSA Bahrain, which hosts US Naval Forces Central Command and the Fifth Fleet, severely degraded one of Washington’s most important military hubs in the region and disrupted the logistical network supporting US naval operations.

According to Cordle, the installation is now largely unusable, with damage estimated at nearly $400 million.

Facilities reportedly struck included the Fifth Fleet headquarters, military barracks, warehouses, communications towers and a potable water station. US Coast Guard vessels and other ships were also relocated, while personnel and support functions were moved away from the installation.

Cordle said no personnel were killed or seriously wounded in the attacks, according to US military sources.

Iran strikes expose vulnerability of key US Gulf hub

NSA Bahrain serves as far more than an administrative headquarters. The base provides logistical and operational support for US ships, aircraft, personnel and cargo moving throughout the Middle East and has long been central to Washington’s ability to maintain a continuous naval presence in the Gulf.

Cordle argued that the destruction demonstrated how vulnerable such a major fixed installation had become to Iranian ballistic missile attacks.

“The idea that the U.S. could not prevent and defend against a predictable attack on a Fleet Headquarters — and our sailors stationed there — is quite startling. It likely is just as alarming to our allies,” he wrote.

He noted that Iran’s decision to strike the facility should not have been unexpected given that the attacks came in retaliation for US military action against the Islamic Republic.

“The potential loss of NSA Bahrain is effectively the equivalent of losing an aircraft carrier. It could not have come as a surprise that Iran would attack it in retaliation, yet it — and those living and working there — were left exposed and the facilities inadequately protected from Tehran’s ballistic missiles,” Cordle said.

The retired officer also questioned why Washington had not concentrated additional missile-defense assets around the facility before the anticipated Iranian response.

He argued that US air-defense systems, including ballistic missile-defense destroyers, could potentially have provided far stronger protection for the base.

“The U.S. has superb air defense capabilities that could potentially have formed a near-impenetrable ‘dome’ over our citizens, as they have over Israel and parts of Ukraine in recent history. Ballistic missile defense destroyers boast incredible defensive capabilities and could have been stationed effectively at sea to protect the Fifth Fleet Headquarters,” he wrote.

Supply problems extend to USS Abraham Lincoln

The consequences of the attack have also reportedly spread to US naval forces operating farther from Bahrain.

Cordle linked shortages experienced aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the loss of Bahrain as a nearby logistics center, saying the destruction of the base disrupted established regional supply chains.

Reports of shortages involving food, mail, spare parts and other supplies aboard the carrier, he argued, illustrated how dependent US naval operations had become on the Bahrain hub.

Replacing supply routes that previously stretched only hundreds of miles with routes extending thousands of miles could place significant new constraints on sustained US maritime operations, particularly during periods of heightened military activity.

Cordle warned that such logistical strains could affect Washington’s ability to maintain and support ships throughout the region over prolonged periods.

US families remain displaced months later

The former Navy captain also sharply criticized Washington’s handling of military personnel and their families stationed in Bahrain.

He questioned why dependents were not evacuated ahead of the strikes or immediately after the facility came under attack.

“The fact that the U.S. did not preemptively — or at least expeditiously — evacuate families and dependents is truly mind-boggling,” Cordle wrote.

Six months after the attack, more than 1,000 evacuated service members and family members reportedly remained displaced, with some still separated from pets and personal belongings left behind in Bahrain.

Vice Adm. Curt Renshaw, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, Fifth Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, acknowledged the continuing uncertainty during a town hall with evacuees.

“When we started this journey, there were some pretty clear rules. As we’ve moved on, we’re really in uncharted territory right now,” Renshaw said.

Cordle said the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the base underscored the extent of the damage and raised questions over whether it could fully resume its former role.

Fifth Fleet functioning despite degraded infrastructure

The Fifth Fleet continues operating, but Cordle said the infrastructure from which it traditionally conducted regional operations has been severely weakened.

He called for greater public scrutiny of how such an important installation was left vulnerable and what military capabilities were lost when Iran demonstrated that it could reach the headquarters with ballistic missiles.

“What, precisely, is the current operational status of NSA Bahrain and the Fifth Fleet headquarters, and what capability did the U.S. lose when Iran demonstrated that it could strike this critical naval hub?” he asked.

Cordle also raised concerns over discussions within Washington about reducing the US military footprint in the Gulf, arguing that such a move could amount to a “strategic retreat” and further complicate logistics for remaining forces.

He warned that failing to restore NSA Bahrain to something approaching its previous capacity would reshape the way the US Navy operates across the region and could also affect military coordination with Washington’s Gulf partners.

“If NSA Bahrain is not reconstituted to something near its pre-attack capabilities, it will fundamentally change how the U.S. Navy operates, supplies and maintains its ships. It will also upend how we support regional coalition partners in the Gulf region,” he wrote.

Cordle concluded that he hoped the facility would eventually be rebuilt with stronger defensive measures.

“It is my hope that it is resurrected with sufficient support and security to make it safe and viable again.”