Emergency sirens rang across Bahrain on Saturday and smoke was seen rising near the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet base in the Juffair district, hours after a major joint attack by Israel and United States on Iran.
The alarms and plumes of smoke triggered fear and confusion far beyond Bahrain’s capital which shows how quickly this conflict is spreading.
Bahrain Interior Ministry Alert
Reports say that The Bahraini Interior Ministry sent alerts to mobile phones saying the sirens were activated “due to a hazard,” without giving specific details. State media later quoted officials saying a missile attack had targeted the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, which is a key strategic post for American forces in the Gulf.
According to reports, witnesses and residents in Manama said they heard explosions and saw thick smoke rising over the Juffair area, where the naval base sits. Reuters cited residents who described the scene, however authorities there have not yet confirmed what caused the smoke or whether any military facilities were hit directly.
Bahrain Tensions Linked to Iran Strikes
The alarms and possible strike in Bahrain came after the United States and Israel launched a coordinated offensive on Iran earlier in the day. That operation, named by the US Department of War as “Operation Epic Fury,” focused on military and strategic Iranian targets and was meant to cripple the country’s ability to threaten regional stability. Iran responded to the initial assault by firing missiles and drones at Israel and at US military assets across the Middle East.
Reports say that Sirens also sounded in other Gulf cities, including in parts of Jordan, and several nations closed their airspace as a precaution. Hospitals in Israel activated emergency protocols, moving patients to shelters after Iranian missiles were detected heading toward Israeli territory.
No Official Statement From Bahrain Yet
At this stage, no confirmation has been released about casualties in Bahrain, as per reports. There has also been no official statement from the United States or the Bahraini government about the extent of the damage at the Fifth Fleet base. But the sight of smoke and the sound of sirens in a country that hosts key American military forces underline how regional tensions have escalated dramatically in just a few hours.
