Explosions reported in Manama after Iran strikes US Fifth Fleet base

08:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Explosions reported in Manama after Iran strikes US Fifth Fleet base

Explosions were reported across Manama early Saturday after Iran said it had launched missiles at the headquarters of the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, in retaliation for large-scale US and Israeli strikes on Iranian territory. Residents in several districts of the capital said they heard multiple loud blasts and saw smoke rising near the Juffair area, where the US naval installation is located, while emergency sirens and public alerts urged people to seek shelter. Agence France-Presse and regional outlets cited reports of explosions and civil defense deployments as the Gulf kingdom moved to a heightened state of security.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the strike on Bahrain formed part of a wider response to what it described as foreign aggression, after coordinated US and Israeli operations hit Iranian nuclear and military sites earlier in the day. Iranian media and regional broadcasters reported that missiles were also launched toward US-linked facilities in Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, including the Al Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi, triggering air-raid sirens and emergency warnings in several cities across the Gulf. The United States had already reduced staffing at the Bahrain base and placed forces on high alert ahead of the anticipated retaliation, drawing on its experience from previous Iranian strikes on US facilities in the region.

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry issued precautionary guidance calling on residents to remain calm and stay in safe locations, while confirming that emergency and civil defense teams had been deployed around key sites in Manama. Initial assessments from Bahraini authorities and US officials indicated that casualty figures were not yet confirmed and that the full extent of damage at the naval headquarters was still under review amid what officials described as an active situation. The US Embassy in Manama circulated security advisories for American citizens, warning of possible further attacks and disruption to transport, while regional airspace and parts of the Gulf’s maritime routes faced temporary restrictions because of the heightened military activity.

The strike on the Fifth Fleet, a core element of US naval power responsible for operations in the Gulf, Red Sea, and Arabian Sea, marked a sharp escalation that directly involved a key American ally hosting a central command hub. Regional analysts warned that the exchange of strikes between Iran, the United States, and Israel has increased the risk of a broader confrontation, raising concern over the safety of energy infrastructure and shipping lanes near Bahrain’s coast. As emergency sirens subsided in Manama, authorities across the Gulf remained on alert for any further missile or drone launches, while international actors renewed calls for restraint to prevent the crisis from spreading.