Iranian strike on US Bahrain base damaged carrier logistics, report says

Missiles and drones launched by Iran during the "Vaad es-Sadiq 4" operation struck the U.S. 5th Fleet's main logistics hub in Bahrain, causing heavy damage and disrupting food and medical supplies to American aircraft carriers in the region, the New York Times reported. The carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other vessels have faced resupply problems since the first day of the war, while much of the Bahrain facility — a principal naval logistics base for decades — has been rendered unusable. The Pentagon has turned to the British-commanded base on Diego Garcia island, about 3,500 kilometers south of carrier strike groups operating in the Gulf of Oman, as an alternative supply point. An unnamed U.S. military official said Diego Garcia was quickly pressed into service as the main logistical hub after the Bahrain base was heavily damaged. The island's new role helps explain Iran's March 20 launch of two medium-range ballistic missiles toward it; one fell into the Indian Ocean and the other was intercepted by a U.S. warship, according to the report. The loss of the Bahrain facility has compounded medical and supply shortages reported aboard ships supporting operations against Iran. Democratic senators have raised concerns about the Lincoln's roughly 5,000 personnel, who have been at sea for nine months without a rest port, according to the Times.