Iran’s Araghchi thanks acting Navy Secretary Cao for saying Iran ‘blew the hell out of’ US base in Bahrain

Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Hung Cao’s shocking admission that the Iranian military caused extensive damage to the Navy base in Bahrain, saying that Iran “blew the hell out of Bahrain,” did not go unnoticed by Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. In a social media post, early Friday morning, Araghchi expressed gratitude for the acting Navy secretary’s remarks, saying Iran appreciated Cao’s “candor,” gloating about the damage to the U.S. base by Iran’s “powerful armed forces.” We appreciate the candor of Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao. Our powerful Armed Forces did indeed “blow the hell out of the 5th Fleet HQ in Bahrain,” as well as other bases supporting U.S. aggression. The American people deserve better than footing the bill for Israel’s wars. pic.twitter.com/notnk7hWUK— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) September 11, 2026 “We appreciate the candor of Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao,” said Araghchi 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 U.S. aggression,” he said. “The American people deserve better than footing the bill for Israel’s wars.” Recommended Stories Araghchi has regularly claimed that Israel was a primary motivating factor of the Trump administration’s decision to launch attacks against Iran. His comments came less than 24 hours after Cao made the revelation about the U.S. base in Bahrain in an interview with The Epoch Times at a shipyard in Philadelphia.“They blew the hell out of Bahrain,” Cao said, when discussing the uncertain future of the U.S. base after Iran’s attack there earlier this year. His words were the first time a Trump administration official acknowledged the magnitude of the damage caused by Iran’s strikes.IRANIAN BALLISTIC MISSILES HIT US AIRCRAFT AT JORDANIAN AIR BASENaval Support Activity Bahrain came under heavy fire in retaliatory attacks on Feb. 28 after Operation Epic Fury commenced in February. The strikes decimated much of the base, rendering it close to useless for continued operations. No U.S. casualties were reported in the attacks.When speaking about the base’s future, Cao told The Epoch Times he was unsure of the base’s future and that the U.S. was weighing its options regarding Bahrain. “I have a task force that’s looking at that,” said Cao.