Between late February and June 2026, Iranian forces repeatedly struck the Naval Support Activity Bahrain, the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet. A Wall Street Journal investigation, drawing on satellite imagery, social media footage, and firsthand interviews, confirmed that the damage was substantially worse than what the Pentagon had previously disclosed.
The strikes hit the command headquarters directly. They also destroyed warehouses, a water tank, and satellite communications terminals, according to the WSJ report.
What Iran hit, and why it matters
Iran launched over 8,000 missiles and drones during the broader conflict period. Only two strikes resulted in American fatalities.
Tehran framed the campaign as a calculated response to prior US and Israeli military actions, describing its strikes as precision operations. The satellite imagery reviewed by the WSJ told a more complicated story about the actual damage footprint.
