In a dramatic response, Iran launched an attack on a US Navy base in Bahrain on Saturday. This move came after a series of assaults by the US and Israel on Iranian officials and military sites, sources revealed to The Post.
Video footage captured a significant explosion near the base on the island nation in the Persian Gulf, home to the US Fifth Fleet. The video, acquired by The Post, shows the moment from a car passing by the site.
The dramatic scene features a plume of dark smoke rising skyward following the blast, scattering debris in every direction. The shock of the event is palpable, with onlookers in the vehicle repeatedly exclaiming, “Oh my God!”
Details regarding the extent of the damage to the US Fifth Fleet headquarters, which plays a crucial role in overseeing US naval operations in the Middle East, remain unclear.
Iran also expanded its counterattacks to include strikes on Israel and additional US military installations throughout the region, hitting locations in Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Jordan.
Additional retaliatory strikes targeted Israel and US military bases across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Jordan.
The US and Israeli daylight attack, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury,” came in response to the Iranian regime refusing to agree to a deal that would dismantle its nuclear program.
President Trump said he was determined to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power and would use the might of the US military to stop the regime.
“We will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. It’s a very simple message. They will never have a nuclear weapon,” he said Saturday morning during an eight-minute video address.
“This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States armed forces.”
The US had been building up a large military presence in the Middle East featuring two powerful carrier strike groups in the Mediterranean Sea, including the USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS Abraham Lincoln.
“I built and rebuilt the military in my first administration and there’s no military on earth even close to its power, strength or sophistication,” Trump said.
The commander in chief warned of possible casualties from Iranian attacks but reassured that proper protocols were in place to minimize American deaths.
“My administration has taken every possible step to minimize the risk to US personnel in the region. Even so, and I do not make this statement lightly, the Iranian regime seeks to kill the lives of courageous American heroes, may be lost and we may have casualties,” he said. “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.”
