Araghchi to US: Americans shouldn't foot the bill for Israel's wars
US Deputy Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao told The Epoch Times that the 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain suffered heavy damage in Iranian strikes. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi fired back on social media.
RastinewsUS Deputy Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao told the New York-based Epoch Times that Iran had "leveled" the US 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to the admission from his social media account.
"We appreciate Cao's honesty"
In his post, Araghchi answered Cao's remarks with irony, writing: "We appreciate the honesty of Deputy Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao." He continued: "Our powerful Armed Forces indeed turned the 5th Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain, and other bases supporting US aggression, into hell. The American people deserve better than to pay the bill for Israel's wars."
Araghchi's remarks were prompted by Cao's earlier comments to The Epoch Times, in which he said the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier had been unable to find berthing at the base because of the damage, and that whether the carrier would return to the base was still under review.
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle had said the Navy would not be returning to the Bahrain base in the near term. With the base rendered unusable, supply lines were shifted to Diego Garcia. The USS Abraham Lincoln, which spent roughly 200 days in the combat zone and nine months at sea, made its first port call in Thailand following reports of low morale among the crew.