U.S. Naval Base in Bahrain under Attack from Iran, 20-Storey Building Damaged in Manama

Iran struck the U.S. Navy’s Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain on Saturday, sending explosions and a thick plume of smoke over Mina Salman port in a direct escalation following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.

Bahrain confirmed that a service centre linked to the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet headquarters was hit in what it described as a “missile attack.” The strike unfolded as Iran vowed retaliation after Washington and Tel Aviv launched coordinated operations inside Iran.

An Indian resident living near the U.S. Embassy in Bahrain told Defensemirror.com that a loud blast shook the area, followed by visible smoke rising.

Another eyewitness said that a 20-storey building very close to their residence was damaged after being hit by a projectile. The source added that only two of around fifteen missiles fired by Iran hit their targets, while the others were intercepted. As citizens try to move to safer locations, traffic congestion has been reported across the capital.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in New Delhi informed Indian citizens living in Bahrain that they need not panic since the country is not directly involved in the conflict, but asked them to move to safe locations as soon as possible. Travel back to India will not be possible for two days as the airspace will be closed due to the ongoing war between Israel and the U.S. against Iran.

“We are implementing a shelter-in-place for all personnel. We recommend all Americans do the same until further notice,” the U.S. Embassy in Bahrain said, urging U.S. citizens to “find a secure location within your residence or another safe building.” The U.S. Embassy in Qatar issued a similar advisory.

The Bahraini Interior Ministry said warning sirens were activated and instructed citizens and residents to move to the nearest safe location, citing media reports of missile and drone threats over Bahraini airspace.

The strike in Bahrain follows confirmation by Donald Trump that the U.S. had launched “major combat operations” in Iran. In an eight-minute video posted on Truth Social, Trump accused Tehran of attempting to rebuild its nuclear program and develop long-range missiles.

“We sought repeatedly to make a deal. We tried,” he said. “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally obliterated.”

Explosions were reported across Tehran, with smoke rising over several districts. Iranian state-owned media said blasts were heard in the east and north of the capital and in Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah, adding that missiles struck University Street and the Republic area. There has been no official confirmation of casualties among senior officials.

Unconfirmed reports also said the residence of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was struck in a joint U.S.–Israeli operation involving four jets. The escalation follows the collapse of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva that had recently shown signs of progress.

Open-source intelligence and flight-tracking data indicate that more than 100 U.S. aircraft, including F-16, F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, along with refueling and surveillance platforms, have been repositioned to bases across Europe and the Middle East in recent days.

At sea, the USS Gerald R. Ford is moving toward the Middle East and is expected to join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group in the Arabian Sea, as U.S. Navy destroyers equipped with cruise missiles and missile defense systems operate across the region.