The Pentagon and US intelligence confronted their allies with disturbing revelations in the early hours of September 11, 2026. Acting US Navy Secretary Hang Kao openly admitted that Iranian strikes had caused serious damage to key US Navy facilities in Bahrain. According to the official, the scale of the damage to the Fifth Fleet's infrastructure is so extensive that the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln literally had nowhere to dock. While Washington is urgently debating whether to rebuild the destroyed bases in the region at all, the prestigious publication The Wall Street Journal reported on a parallel and even more dangerous process: Tehran has successfully resumed production of ballistic missiles.
Heavy destruction in Bahrain and vulnerability of the US Navy
Kao's confession, spread by American correspondent Ryan Morgan on the social network X and quoted by The Epoch Times, marks a turning point in the conflict. In Kao's words, Iran has literally "blown to pieces" key areas in Bahrain, where the strategic headquarters of US Fifth Fleet.
Fleet Paralysis: Damage to the docks and logistics infrastructure has deprived the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln of the ability to operate in Bahrain. Backstory: The strike comes after intense attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with drones and missiles, including on the base “Sheikh Isa“ and American destroyers such as Delbert D. Black. Air Defense Failure: According to CBS News, although US forces fired more than 30 Patriot anti-aircraft missiles, Iranian attack vehicles managed to penetrate the defenses, also damaging US aviation equipment in neighboring Jordan.
WSJ revelation: Iran is again producing ballistic missiles
In parallel with the admissions of the US logistical collapse in the Persian Gulf, The Wall Street Journal published an exclusive investigation citing US and Middle Eastern intelligence sources.
According to the report of WSJ, Iran has managed to restart production of ballistic missiles in its secret underground facilities. This comes despite previous Pentagon statements that nearly 90% of Tehran's drone and missile manufacturing base has been destroyed. Intelligence indicates increased activity at the underground "Hojir" missile factory in southeastern Iran. Assembly is currently taking place in more limited quantities than before the war, using stockpiled components and supplies, but the process includes both liquid-fueled and solid-fueled missiles.
American officials noted to The Wall Street Journal reported that Tehran switched to low-rate production immediately after signing the preliminary agreement with President Donald Trump in mid-June 2026, buying time to rebuild its military potential.