Middle East: US warships withdrawn from the naval base in Bahrain

The US naval base at Bahrain has been emptied of warships, satellite images released online yesterday reveal.

The specific images, analyzed by the Associated Press, appear to show that there are no longer any ships anchored outside the headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain as attacks between Israel and Iran continue. The images show the main dock without any ships.

Almost all vessels have sortied out from Salman Port in Bahrain, a multinational naval base on the Persian Gulf.

At least 1x US Navy LCS, 2x minesweepers, both of the Royal Bahraini Navy's Perry-class Frigates, and a roughly a dozen smaller vessels have put to sea. pic.twitter.com/OphlnYLL6F
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 17, 2025

Shipbreaking is a common safety technique used by navies around the world in times of unrest. Iran has threatened to target U.S. military installations in the region, though so far there have been no attacks since the start of the Israeli campaign against Iran on Friday.

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