Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao has described the impact of Iranian attacks on American military facilities, saying Iran “blew the hell out of Bahrain” in reference to strikes targeting the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.
Cao made the remarks to The Epoch Times, according to a report, as the extent of damage from Iranian strikes against US military positions emerged.
Iranian attacks this week also damaged several US military aircraft at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, according to a US official cited by Reuters.
The US military had already suffered significant equipment losses during the conflict, including the destruction of more than two dozen drones, damage to fighter aircraft and losses resulting from accidents. A May report by the Congressional Research Service said 42 US military aircraft had been lost or damaged since the conflict began.
Since the war with Iran began in February, 18 US service members have reportedly been killed and more than 800 injured.
A US official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the Iranian attack on the Jordanian base struck an A-10 Thunderbolt II, popularly known as the Warthog, leaving one of its wings damaged or missing. Around eight F-15 fighter jets also sustained minor damage but were subsequently returned to service, the official said.
The attack on the US base in Jordan followed US strikes that Washington said destroyed five Iranian crude-oil carriers. The US said its actions came after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles on two occasions over two days.
Iran’s missile attack also forced US forces to launch around 30 Patriot interceptor missiles to defend against the incoming projectiles, according to the US official. The heavy use of air-defence interceptors has raised concerns over the availability of the US missile stockpile.
Although precise inventory figures remain classified, the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that around 65% of the US Patriot interceptor inventory had been expended between February and July. The estimate put the remaining stockpile at fewer than 850 interceptors, compared with around 2,330 before the Iran war began.
The scale of the reported damage and expenditure highlights the growing strain on US military assets and air-defence systems as the conflict continues.
