Bahrain News: Iranian Missiles Strike US Navy Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Manama as Juffair Evacuated

Bahrain is at the center of the most dramatic military crisis in its modern history on Saturday, February 28, 2026. Iran launched a direct missile strike against the US Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain's Juffair district, triggering a nationwide emergency alert, mass evacuations, and a shelter-in-place order for all Americans across the kingdom. Thick plumes of smoke rose over Manama as explosions rocked the capital.

Bahrain News: US Navy Fifth Fleet Headquarters Directly Hit

Bahrain's National Communication Center confirmed: "The Fifth Fleet's service center was subjected to a missile attack." Smoke was visible billowing from the Juffair area housing the US Naval base headquarters in Manama. The facility, known as Naval Support Activity Bahrain, is the most critical US naval installation in the entire Middle East and the operational nerve center for all American naval activity across the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.

New footage appeared to show smoke rising from a secured compound in Bahrain with visible perimeter walls and communications infrastructure, with the location consistent with a military facility in the Juffair area. Geolocated imagery circulating on social media confirmed the strike point fell within the boundaries of the base, making it one of the most significant direct hits on a US military facility in the region in decades.

Bahrain Evacuates Juffair Neighborhood, Calls Attack Treacherous

Bahrain said it was evacuating people from the neighborhood housing the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet after it was targeted by Iranian missiles. "The Ministry of Interior has begun evacuating citizens and residents in the Juffair area," the government confirmed. The Juffair district, densely populated with both military personnel and civilian residents, was cleared as a precautionary measure against further incoming fire.

Bahrain called the attack "a treacherous attack" and "a blatant violation of the kingdom's sovereignty and security." The kingdom's government moved swiftly to condemn Tehran's actions in the strongest possible diplomatic language while simultaneously managing a live emergency on the ground in Manama. Interior Ministry broadcasts urged all residents to avoid non-essential movement and to proceed to the nearest safe location immediately.

Iran Hit Empty Section of Bahrain Base, Analyst Says — But Threat Remains Active

Bahraini political analyst Dr. Ahmed Alkhuzaie told The Jerusalem Post on Saturday that Iran hit an empty quarter of the US military base in Bahrain, after Reuters reported smoke billowing from the Juffair area. The state news agency later reported that Bahrain had successfully "dealt with" missiles in its airspace. The assessment, if accurate, suggests Iran's strike caused structural damage but avoided the most populated portions of the facility.

A source living in Manama confirmed that blasts were clearly heard across the area. Alkhuzaie, a managing partner at international consultancy Khuzaie Associates LLC, was speaking from a shelter in the Gulf at the time of the interview. Residents across Manama took to social media to share footage of the smoke column rising over the base, with the images rapidly spreading across global news platforms within minutes of the strike.

US Embassy in Bahrain Issues Shelter-in-Place Order for All Americans

The US Embassy in Bahrain urged American citizens to shelter in place, citing media reports of threats from missiles and drones over Bahraini airspace. The US Embassy in Bahrain told its staff to seek shelter and advised US citizens to do the same, stating: "We are implementing a shelter-in-place for all personnel. We recommend all Americans do the same until further notice." Americans were instructed to find a secure location within their residence, stock essential supplies including food, water, and medications, and monitor official channels only.

US embassies in Qatar and Bahrain both separately advised shelter-in-place directives for all personnel and American citizens in those countries after the joint US-Israel attack on Iran triggered Iran's immediate retaliatory response across the Gulf. The coordinated embassy alerts across multiple Gulf nations reflected the broad and simultaneous nature of Iran's missile campaign.

No US Casualties Reported at Bahrain Navy Base — Pentagon Silent on Damage

No US casualties have been reported at the Bahrain base at this time, a US official confirmed Saturday. Air raid sirens and missile warnings went out across the region after the US and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran earlier in the morning ET. The Pentagon has yet to release an official damage assessment for the Bahrain facility, and the full extent of structural impact on the Fifth Fleet headquarters compound remains unclear.

Trump confirmed in his video address that the mission, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, would raze Iran's missile industry to the ground and annihilate its navy. He acknowledged the possibility of American casualties, stating: "The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties. That often happens in war. But we're doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission." Bahrain news remains on a breaking emergency footing as further Iranian missile waves have not been ruled out by either side.

Bahrain Country on Full War Footing as Region Holds Its Breath

Bahrain hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, a facility that has made the small island kingdom a primary target in any Iran-US military exchange. The US has numerous installations across the Middle East that could be targets for Iranian strikes, in addition to Bahrain and Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, home to thousands of American troops and their family members.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed all Israeli and US military targets in the Middle East have been struck by the powerful blows of Iranian missiles, stating: "This operation will continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated." All US assets throughout the region are considered legitimate targets for Iran's army. With Bahrain news now confirmed as a direct strike on US soil abroad, the kingdom faces its most dangerous security environment since its founding — and the situation remains fluid and rapidly escalating as of Saturday evening ET.