US Sailors Were Panic-Evacuated From Key Bahrain Naval Base After Strikes In Late February

Last Updated:April 07, 2026, 13:29 IST

Nearly 1,500 US sailors and families were evacuated from Bahrain after Iranian strikes, with many leaving with only what they could carry, a report has claimed.

Hundreds of US sailors and their families were evacuated from a key naval base in Bahrain after Iranian missile and drone strikes hit American military installations in the region, according to an NPR report.

The report describes a hurried relocation process in which many service members left with little notice and few belongings, highlighting the disruption faced by military families as tensions escalated following US strikes in late February.

Social media users have claimed that the evacuation was personally ordered or overseen by Pete Hegseth.

However, the NPR report does not name Hegseth or attribute operational decisions to him. Instead, it cited Navy officials and support organisations involved in assisting evacuees.

BASE STRUCK AS IRANIAN MISSILES TARGET KEY US FACILITY

According to the report, the evacuation followed attacks on Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and a central hub for maritime security operations in the Gulf.

Satellite imagery reviewed by the outlet indicated multiple strikes on or near the base between February 28 and March 6.

Bahrain lies roughly 124 nautical miles from Iran’s coastline, placing it well within the range of Iranian missile and drone systems.

A Navy spokesperson was quoted as saying that approximately 1,500 sailors, family members and several hundred pets were relocated to the United States after the attacks.

The report notes that around 8,000 personnel had been stationed at the base prior to the outbreak of hostilities.

‘GET WHAT YOU CAN GET IN THE BACKPACK’

Community organisations assisting arriving personnel described the speed of the evacuation and the lack of preparation time for families forced to leave behind their belongings.

Keith Shanesy, vice commander of American Legion Post 327 in Norfolk, Virginia, described what evacuees had been told before departing the region.

“They literally told them, ‘Get what you can get in the backpack. You’ve got to go.’"

Shanesy said some sailors arrived in the United States without uniforms or essential personal items.

“They came with no uniforms, nothing. The three we met first, they came with the clothes on their back, what they could fit in that backpack."

Local groups provided toiletries, clothing and other basic supplies as families began arriving in Norfolk, home to the world’s largest naval base.

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society had distributed about $1 million to roughly 2,000 service members and relatives to help cover immediate expenses, as reimbursement processes can take months, according to the report.

Dawn Cutler, the organisation’s chief operations officer, described families arriving in difficult circumstances.

“I saw one girl, she had a two-week-old, a two-year-old and a dog in a crate and a suitcase. So she was just at the moment, looking to get out of danger, get to someplace safe."

MULTIPLE BASES AFFECTED AS EVACUATIONS EXPAND

The report noted that evacuations were not limited to Bahrain, though details about other bases remain unclear.

Relocated personnel had been processed through hubs including Norfolk, MacDill Air Force Base in Florida and Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina.

Support organisations, including the USO, had been assisting returning families, while the Navy had issued updated guidance covering temporary housing reimbursements and relocation logistics.

RESCUE OF SECOND US PILOT IN IRAN DRAWS GLOBAL ATTENTION

The evacuation story has unfolded alongside intense coverage of a separate US military operation to rescue a downed American airman inside Iran.

US forces conducted a high-risk mission involving multiple aircraft and special operations personnel to extract the second crew member of an F-15 fighter jet shot down over Iranian territory.

Officials said the airman evaded capture for nearly two days before being rescued in what was described as one of the most complex search-and-rescue missions of the conflict.

News world US Sailors Were Panic-Evacuated From Key Bahrain Naval Base After Strikes In Late February

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