‘It sounded relentless’: American in Bahrain describes days of drone and missile attacks

When the drones came, “they sounded like lawnmowers or mopeds, and so loud it was like they were right outside,” an American connected to the U.S. military base in Bahrain told Defense One. “It sounded relentless.” 

Iranian drones and missiles began hitting facilities in Bahrain roughly two hours after the first U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran on Saturday morning. Many targeted the headquarters of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, while others hit residential buildings, and the Crowne Plaza—one of a handful of hotels popular with visiting U.S. officials and a frequent choice for military and embassy events.

Strikes on Bahrain, as well as Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia—all hosts to U.S. military personnel and facilities—continued on Sunday and Monday.

When the Navy base in Bahrain was attacked, it was nearly empty because an exercise drill the night before put it on “mission critical” status, the American said. However, the authorized departure of dependents was not called until an hour after the first strikes on Iran, so no families had left. Missile warnings started roughly 45 minutes later, and then the explosions began. 

Now, Bahrain airspace is closed and all flights out of the civilian airport are suspended. And while the military had told troops and civilian employees that live in the Juffair district that they could get reimbursed to stay elsewhere, the U.S. embassy on Monday warned American citizens to avoid hotels in Manama, as they may be targeted. 

“Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Bahrain. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning,” reads a March 2 embassy update.

The American lives close to the base, but outside the Juffair district, which was completely evacuated Saturday. They told Defense One they are now staying in a different area because if they had stayed, they would have a “nervous breakdown with constant barrage of sirens, missile impacts, Patriot interceptors, drones, and jet engines.” 

Still, everyone in Bahrain is getting a steady stream of missile warnings, “but the drones usually accompany them in waves. All of us are braced all the time anyway.”