Iran welcomes US Acknowledgement of Devastating Damage to Bahrain Naval Base
TEHRAN: Iran on Friday welcomed comments by a senior US Navy official acknowledging that Iranian attacks caused extensive damage to the headquarters of the US 5th Fleet in Bahrain, as tensions remained high over the fallout from the war.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran appreciated the remarks by Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao, who reportedly acknowledged the scale of damage sustained by the US naval facility.
“We appreciate the candour of Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao,” Araghchi said in a post on X.
“Our powerful Armed Forces did indeed ‘blow the hell out of the 5th Fleet HQ in Bahrain,’ as well as other bases supporting US aggression,” he said.
Araghchi added that Americans “deserve better than footing the bill for Israel’s wars.”
According to The Epoch Times, Cao said in an interview that Iranian forces had “blew the hell out of Bahrain,” in what would represent a rare high-level US acknowledgement of the damage inflicted on Naval Support Activity Bahrain.
Cao reportedly said the damage affected operations involving the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, leaving its crew with “no place for them to pull in.”
Open-source and satellite imagery analyses had previously indicated substantial damage to US military facilities in Bahrain following Iranian attacks earlier in the conflict.
The US Navy’s top uniformed officer, Admiral Daryl Caudle, said earlier this month that the Navy would not return to Naval Support Activity Bahrain “anytime soon” because of the damage.
The USS Abraham Lincoln had spent nearly nine months on an extended deployment, including around 200 days in a combat zone, before arriving at Laem Chabang in Thailand earlier this month.
The prolonged deployment had drawn concern from lawmakers and sailors’ families amid reports of shortages of food and water, plumbing problems, declining morale and concerns over sailors’ mental health.
Trump Says He Does Not Regret Iran War
US President Donald Trump said he did not regret launching the war against Iran despite concerns that the conflict could affect his Republican Party’s performance in November’s midterm elections.
“I don’t believe in the word ‘regret.’ You can always question yourself a little bit,” Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham when asked whether he regretted the war because of its possible political consequences.
“If I had it to do again, I would do exactly as I did,” Trump said in an interview broadcast on Thursday.
Trump rejected suggestions that some of his supporters had become demoralised over the conflict, saying he believed they were proud of his efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“I think they’re very proud of the fact that I’m not letting Iran have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Trump also reiterated his belief that the war would end immediately after the midterm elections.
“It ends right after the election,” he said, without providing further details.
The conflict has become an increasingly important political issue in the United States, particularly as oil and gas prices have risen.
The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, prompting Iranian strikes against Israel and Gulf states hosting US military bases.
Trump has repeatedly said that weakening Iran’s nuclear capabilities was among the main objectives of the war.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and maintains that its uranium-enrichment programme is intended for peaceful purposes.
Seoul, Tehran Discuss Freedom of Navigation in Strait of Hormuz
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun discussed the Middle East conflict and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi during a telephone call on Friday, South Korea’s foreign ministry said.
Cho expressed deep concern over the situation and voiced hope for lasting peace and stability in the region.
He also reaffirmed Seoul’s support for safe and free navigation for all vessels and said South Korea had participated in international efforts aimed at maintaining maritime security.
Araghchi outlined Iran’s position on developments in the region, while both ministers agreed to maintain communication, according to the ministry.
The call came at Iran’s request, South Korea said, after Seoul dispatched an inspection team to the Middle East to assess the possibility of sending troops to the region.
South Korea’s presidential office said last week that it was reviewing several options, including possible military measures, to support freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has warned that any South Korean military presence or participation in operations in the Gulf or Strait of Hormuz would be viewed as support for US “aggression” and could have serious consequences.
Seoul has stressed that no final decision has been made on any military deployment.
Hormuz Ship Traffic Falls to Seven Vessels
Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to seven vessel transits on Thursday from 11 the previous day, preliminary ship-tracking data showed on Friday.
The figure was well below the 10-day average of 15 transits, according to data from ship-tracking company Kpler.
Two Panamax vessels exited the strait, one carrying fertiliser and another travelling in ballast, while five vessels entered the waterway.
The vessels entering included ships carrying dry bulk cargo, steel and grain, as well as a medium-range tanker carrying petroleum products.
The figures do not include vessels that may have crossed the waterway with their Automatic Identification System transponders switched off.
Two QatarEnergy-linked vessels travelling in ballast, the Al Ghashamiya and Al Daayen, were also seen inside the Strait of Hormuz this week after previously being tracked outside the waterway.
Another QatarEnergy-controlled vessel, the Al Marrouna, exited the strait this week after delivering a cargo from Ras Laffan to Pakistan on September 10.
The voyage marked the first known LNG shipment aboard a Qatar-linked tanker since late July, when the Al Areesh transported a cargo from Ras Laffan to Pakistan.
Iran Rejects Renewed Nuclear Allegations
Iran’s ambassador and charge d’affaires to the United Nations, Gholamhossein Darzi, rejected renewed allegations over Tehran’s nuclear programme as “political” rather than technical.
In a letter to the president of the UN Security Council, Darzi said Iran rejected accusations raised during a Security Council meeting on Thursday.
“The renewed accusations against Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme are political in nature, not technical,” he said.
Darzi also argued that UN Security Council Resolution 2231 had expired in October 2025.
Vance Sought Unfiltered Assessments of Iran War
US Vice President JD Vance reportedly sought direct assessments from American military commanders about the Iran war, including views that differed from the administration’s public portrayal of the conflict, The New York Times reported.
According to current and former US officials cited by the newspaper, Vance contacted US military commanders in the Middle East, Europe and Asia throughout the spring and summer to obtain their independent assessments.
The discussions reportedly covered the war’s objectives and tactics, casualty estimates, Iran’s activities around the Strait of Hormuz and the ability of Iranian forces to adapt to battlefield conditions.
Vance also asked commanders about remaining weapons stockpiles and the potential impact of transferring additional weapons to the Middle East on US efforts to deter China, Russia and North Korea.
Officials reportedly expressed particular concern over dwindling stocks of Patriot interceptor missiles, with some commanders warning that supplies of critical munitions had fallen to exceptionally low levels.