Iran launched missiles on Saturday, Feb. 28, that struck near the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, in what Iranian officials described as retaliation for earlier U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.
Video circulating online showed smoke rising from the area of the base. Bahrain’s government confirmed that a missile attack targeted the Fifth Fleet facility and characterized the strike as a violation of its sovereignty.
The Fifth Fleet service center was subjected to a missile attack and that emergency response teams were deployed. It is currently unknown if there were any casualties related to this specific strike.
The Bahrain strike occurred amid a broader exchange of military actions across the Middle East. Earlier today, the U.S. and Israel conducted strikes on Iranian territory aimed at degrading missile and military infrastructure. Iranian state media and officials subsequently announced retaliatory missile and drone launches against U.S. military facilities hosted in Gulf states.
Multiple U.S.-linked sites across the region are coming under threat, including installations in Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Air defense systems in several countries were activated. Coverage of the broader exchange emphasized that Iran framed its actions as defensive retaliation for what it characterized as aggression.
Iran has also reportedly attacked sites in Dubai, including the Fairmont Hotel.
Strategic Importance Of Fifth Fleet
The U.S. Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain, has an area of operations encompassing nearly 2.5 million square miles of water area. This includes the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean.
Their operational theatre is comprised of 21 countries, including three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen. The command plays a central role in maritime security operations and protection of shipping lanes.
Since the Fifth Fleet headquarters is located in Manama, near civilian areas, any strike on or near the facility carries immediate implications for host-nation security and civilian infrastructure. Bahrain’s government described the attack not only as a military incident but as a direct infringement on national sovereignty.
Early reporting did not confirm American military fatalities at the Bahrain installation. The strike hit near the base and showed smoke rising from the vicinity of the service center, but official casualty figures have not yet been released.
Since multiple projectiles were reportedly intercepted across the Gulf region, analysts cautioned that some visible explosions could reflect air-defense interceptions rather than direct structural hits. Regional outlets noted air-defense systems engaged incoming threats across several countries during the exchange.
The strike on Bahrain marks one of the most direct confrontations between Iran and U.S. forces in the Gulf in recent years. Iran publicly vowed further retaliation while international actors called for de-escalation and emergency diplomatic engagement. It has been reported by some outlets that American and Israeli strikes on Tehran killed at least 80 children.
Given the Fifth Fleet’s strategic role, any sustained targeting of Bahrain-based facilities could have implications for maritime security, energy markets and regional stability.
