Iran18 August, 20263 min read
Iran Strike on Bahrain Sends Pentagon Logistics to Diego Garcia Base
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Iran attack destroyed Bahrain logistics hub, forcing U.S. to relocate main logistics to Diego Garcia. Diego Garcia described as integral for U.S. forces and regional stability after strike.
Fox News was read line by line by the Watchdog: 3.0. See the score →
Diego Garcia logistics shift
An Iranian strike on a major American installation in Bahrain prompted the Pentagon to shift logistics to the remote U.K.-U.S. base at Diego Garcia in the southern Chagos Archipelago, according to a Fox News Digital report.
Fox News Digital quoted James Tumbridge, attorney general for the Chagossian government-in-exile, saying, "That is an inconvenience, but it shows the importance of the base," as the U.S. wartime logistics network stretched across a roughly 2,200-mile maritime supply route to Diego Garcia.
The same report said the USS Abraham Lincoln’s forces conducted air operations and helped enforce the blockade of Iranian ports, while the U.S. change of supply arrangement was framed as a response to the relative targeting risk of Bahrain versus Diego Garcia.
USA TODAY reported that a change in supply bases left 2,100 miles between U.S. Navy combat ships and their nearest resupply hub, and tied that to concerns over mental health of the crew and supply issues aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).
Carrier strain and reactions
USA TODAY said supply problems started at the beginning of the war on Feb. 28 when Iran attacked and heavily damaged much of Naval Support Activity Bahrain, a key Navy logistics base on the island of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf.
The report said the Navy chose Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia as a replacement, and that the change caused the loss of what the Navy calls a "liberty port" for crew free time ashore, while the Abraham Lincoln’s crew had spent more than 260 consecutive days at sea without a port call.
USA TODAY also reported that some family members expressed concern about mental health deteriorating, and that Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff and Mark Kelly criticized the Trump administration and called for an investigation into living conditions aboard the Abraham Lincoln.
In a separate account, Vietnam.vn cited Mehr news agency and the New York Times to say the U.S. Navy was forced to seek an "alternate plan" to continue supplying food and necessities to sailors protecting fighter-jet airstrikes and later sustaining the blockade of Iranian ports.
Readiness, deployment, and stakes
Mehr News Agency, citing Defense Security Asia, said Iran’s attacks that severely damaged Bahrain’s maritime support activities forced the U.S. Navy to relocate its regional logistics hub from Bahrain to Diego Garcia, turning a relatively short Gulf support network into a 2,200-mile vulnerable naval supply chain.
Mehr News Agency also said retired Admiral Mike Mullen, in an interview with NBC News, expressed concern about the condition of the USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been at sea for more than 260 days, and added that Commander Daniel Klare was making great efforts to address these problems.
The same Mehr-linked account said Mullen linked the long deployment to a shortage of safe bases in West Asia, noting that American bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE were targeted during the war, forcing American forces to stay at sea longer.
Mehr News Agency further quoted Harlan Ullman, a former U.S. Navy officer, saying the prolonged deployment imposes heavy pressure on the crew and affects their morale, while USA TODAY reported the Abraham Lincoln is being relieved by the USS George Washington (CVN-73) and expected to head to its homeport of San Diego.