Smoke rises in the sky after blasts were heard in Manama, Bahrain, February 28, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Iranian missiles struck the service centre of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain on Saturday after the United States and Israel launched a major combined military assault on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes across the Middle East that sent plumes of black smoke rising over the fleet’s headquarters in Manama and forced American military families and diplomats across the Gulf into shelters.
The exchange of fire, the most significant direct military confrontation between the U.S. and Iran in decades, has placed the sprawling network of American naval and air installations across the Persian Gulf squarely in the crosshairs, with immediate and potentially far-reaching consequences for global maritime operations and energy supply chains running through the region’s chokepoints.
The U.S.-Israeli attack was launched at approximately 09:30 Tehran time (06:00 GMT) on Saturday, according to the BBC, and has so far targeted areas linked to the Iranian leadership. President Donald Trump, in an eight-minute video posted to Truth Social, declared that the United States had launched a major combat operation in Iran with the stated goal of ensuring Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon.
“I do not make this statement lightly: the Iranian regime seeks to kill,” Trump said, describing the Iranian government as a group of “very hard, terrible people.” He acknowledged the human cost ahead: “The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties. That often happens in war. But we’re doing this, not for now, we’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission.”
The strikes followed weeks of U.S. naval and air power buildup in the region as bilateral negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program languished, Stars and Stripes reported.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement that it was targeting U.S. bases and assets across the region as part of an operation it dubbed “Truthful Promise 4.” Bahrain’s National Communication Centre confirmed that the service centre of the Fifth Fleet came under missile and drone attack and that the kingdom had been subjected to external attacks targeting sites and installations within its borders, calling the strikes a “flagrant violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and security.”
Huge plumes of black smoke, likely from a fuel storage facility, were seen rising from an area near the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, though the extent of any damage remains unclear and the U.S. has not commented. Naval Support Activity Bahrain, the base’s official designation, is the Navy’s most important base in the Middle East and serves as the home port for warships, anti-mine vessels and logistical support ships. It’s also a support facility for naval allies including the UK and Italy. Those ships all departed the base late last week.
Bahrain is home to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the 5th Fleet, and is one of the only accompanied billets in the theater, meaning military families live on the island alongside service members. The Department of Defense reduced staff in Bahrain last week and posted an ecavuation notice that authorized the departure of military dependents, though the departures do not apear to be mandatory. Stars and Stripes reports that 2 p.m. Saturday Manama time, however, departure flights had been placed on hold pending further notice, and Navy officials were directing all personnel to continue sheltering in place.
The Iranian retaliatory strikes extended well beyond Bahrain. The UAE, Qatar, Jordan, and Kuwait, all home to U.S. military installations, reported intercepting Iranian missiles fired toward their territory.
The UAE defence ministry said the country had been subjected to “a blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles” and that its air defence systems had intercepted a number of the incoming weapons “with high efficiency.” However, debris fell on a residential area in Abu Dhabi, causing material damage and killing one civilian.
The United States maintains approximately 13 military bases across the Middle East with between 30,000 and 40,000 troops normally deployed between them. Sirens were activated across Israel throughout Saturday, with the Israeli military reporting that numerous rounds of Iranian missiles had been launched at it and that its air force was working to intercept them.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the U.S.-Israeli attack as “wholly unprovoked, illegal, and illegitimate,” and said Iran’s armed forces “are prepared for this day and will teach the aggressors the lesson they deserve.”
Saudi Arabia condemned what it called “blatant Iranian aggression” against Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan, with the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs pledging full solidarity with the affected nations and vowing to mobilize all capabilities to assist them. Riyadh called on the international community to condemn the attacks and take firm measures to confront Iranian violations.
Bahrain’s government affirmed its full right to respond and to take all necessary measures to defend its national security, in coordination with its allies and partners. Security and military authorities on the island immediately activated emergency protocols.
U.S. embassies in Bahrain, Qatar, and Israel issued emergency notices to Americans on Saturday, advising them to shelter in place with food, water, and medicine. The U.S. Embassy in Bahrain said in a statement it was “implementing a shelter-in-place for all personnel. We recommend all Americans do the same until further notice,” urging citizens to “find a secure location within your residence or another safe building.”
In his video address, Trump also directed a message to Iranian civilians, warning that “bombs will be dropping everywhere” and advising them to remain in their homes. “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will probably be your only chance for generations,” he said.
U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment and has not updated it’s X account since yesterady.
Key details remain unclear as this situation continues to develop rapidly. The exact extent of damage to the U.S. naval base in Bahrain has not been disclosed, nor have there been reports of American military casualties. The total number of missiles Iran launched across the region and how many were successfully intercepted has not been confirmed. This is a developing story. gCaptain will continue to update as new information becomes available.
Sources: Times of Israel, Stars and Stripes, BBC, Bahrain News Agency
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