U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., called Monday for a complete overhaul of the Pentagon’s budget, arguing that Operation Epic Fury exposed critical failures in the American military’s ability to protect its own installations, defend allied forces and sustain a prolonged conflict — failures he said were laid bare by an adversary he described as a “second-rate” military power. The California Democrat’s remarks, posted to X on the morning of Monday, August 31, 2026, came three days after a Military Times opinion piece detailed the extent of damage sustained at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain during the opening days of the war with Iran, reporting that reconstruction costs at the base alone are estimated near $400 million.
Lieu’s Full Statement
Lieu’s post, published at 10:11 a.m. on August 31, 2026, read in full:
“We need an entirely new defense strategy. The Iran War exposed that the US could not:
-defend our bases
-defend our allies
-sustain a war
And this was against a second-rate Iranian military.
The entire Pentagon budget needs to be scrapped and reformed from the ground up.”
The Report That Prompted the Reaction
Lieu’s post came in direct response to a Military Times opinion piece published Friday, August 28, 2026, examining what the author described as the underreported scale of destruction at NSA Bahrain during the early days of Operation Epic Fury. The piece stated that damage to the base is estimated to be close to $400 million, with buildings reportedly harmed including the Fifth Fleet headquarters, a barracks, several warehouses, communications towers and a potable water station. It also noted that ships, including several U.S. Coast Guard vessels, were relocated along with a large portion of staff and facilities, though no personnel were killed or severely injured at the base, according to U.S. military sources.
NSA Bahrain’s Strategic Importance
The Military Times piece emphasized that NSA Bahrain functions as far more than a headquarters building. The installation serves as the regional naval operating base for U.S. Navy forces in the Middle East and is home to both U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) and the U.S. Fifth Fleet, along with numerous tenant commands. According to the piece, whenever ships, aircraft, personnel or cargo move throughout the region, they typically rely on support from NSA Bahrain, making the installation foundational to America’s ability to project maritime power in the Gulf.
Supply Lines Stretched to the USS Abraham Lincoln
The op-ed also connected the base’s degraded condition to reported supply shortages aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, writing that stories of scarcities of parts, food, mail and supplies to the carrier helped reveal the link between ship resupply problems and the loss of a familiar logistics hub. The piece argued that stretching supply lines that were once hundreds of miles away out to thousands of miles carries far-reaching implications for forward-deployed ships and is likely to become a significant constraint on U.S. maritime operations going forward.
Evacuees Still in Limbo Six Months Later
The op-ed noted that even six months after the attacks, well over a thousand evacuated troops and their families remain in limbo, with many separated from pets and belongings due to the devastation at the base. It further argued that the U.S. failure to preemptively or expeditiously evacuate families and dependents ahead of the strikes was difficult to comprehend given the predictability of Iranian retaliation against the installation.
A Commander’s Candid Admission
The Military Times piece specifically commended Vice Adm. Curt Renshaw, commander of Naval Forces Central Command, 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, for his candor when addressing Bahrain evacuees at a town hall. Renshaw was quoted telling evacuees, “When we started this journey, there were some pretty clear rules. As we’ve moved on, we’re really in uncharted territory right now.” The op-ed described this admission as understandable given what it called the continuing uncertainty, six months on, surrounding the operational status of one of America’s most important naval headquarters.
Talk of a “Strategic Retreat”
The op-ed also raised concerns over reported discussions inside the Pentagon of “reducing the footprint” of U.S. forces in the region — what it characterized as a “strategic retreat” that would further strain logistics support for ships and troops still operating in the Gulf. The piece questioned why the U.S., which it said possesses air defense capabilities capable of forming a “near-impenetrable dome” similar to systems protecting Israel and parts of Ukraine, did not station ballistic missile defense destroyers to protect the Fifth Fleet headquarters before the attacks occurred.
Independent Reporting Corroborates the Scale of Damage
Separate reporting has corroborated the scope of the destruction described in the Military Times piece. An investigation cited by regional outlets in June 2026 found that the Fifth Fleet command building, satellite communications facilities, warehouses and residential structures were damaged during Iranian strikes between late February and June, with some facilities rendered unusable, and reconstruction costs pegged at roughly $400 million — though officials cautioned the final total is likely to be considerably higher. Broader regional damage assessments across roughly 20 American facilities in the Gulf have been estimated at between $2.2 billion and $5.1 billion.
Background: How the Attack on NSA Bahrain Unfolded
The strikes on NSA Bahrain began in the earliest hours of Operation Epic Fury, which launched February 28, 2026. U.S. Central Command confirmed at the time that American service members were killed and wounded in retaliatory Iranian strikes across the region, though the exact locations of the casualties were not disclosed. Early reporting showed damage to structures including a warehouse facility and a satellite communications dome, with the base having been largely evacuated ahead of the initial U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Part of a Broader Pentagon Budget Fight in Congress
Lieu’s call to scrap and rebuild the Pentagon budget lands amid months of congressional wrangling over the cost of the Iran war. The Trump administration has sought a record $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2027, and the Pentagon has separately pressed Congress for a war-related supplemental exceeding $200 billion, citing depleted munitions stockpiles and the cost of sustaining operations. Navy officials have told lawmakers that the war’s costs forced cuts to routine training and maintenance, with the Army’s III Armored Corps alone absorbing a nearly $292 million reduction to its training budget in one instance. Republican appropriators, including Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chair Mitch McConnell, have separately voiced skepticism over the administration’s approach to Pentagon funding, objecting to efforts to move major programs like the “Golden Dome” missile defense system outside the normal appropriations process.
Lieu’s Broader Record of Pentagon and War Powers Oversight
Monday’s post is consistent with a pattern of scrutiny Lieu, an Air Force veteran and House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair, has applied to the administration’s conduct of the Iran war throughout 2026. On June 30, 2026, Lieu voted in favor of a War Powers Resolution to remove U.S. forces from hostilities in Lebanon, stating at the time, “The Constitution clearly grants Congress the authority to declare war, but I don’t trust this administration to follow the Constitution.” In July, Lieu confronted U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz over the deaths of U.S. service members in Iran, telling him he “should resign.”
Context: The Pentagon’s Own 2026 Defense Strategy
The Pentagon’s own 2026 National Defense Strategy, released by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in January, called for a shift away from large-scale overseas commitments toward homeland defense and burden-sharing with allies, arguing that past administrations had weakened the military through prolonged nation-building efforts. Critics have noted the tension between that stated strategic pivot and the scale of U.S. forward deployment that was in place in the Gulf when Iranian strikes hit NSA Bahrain weeks after the strategy’s rollout.
No Pentagon Response
Neither the Pentagon nor Rep. Lieu’s office had issued additional public comment on the specific claims in the Military Times op-ed as of Monday afternoon. The Pentagon has previously declined to comment on multiple reports detailing NSA Bahrain’s damage and the broader financial strain the Iran war has placed on military readiness.
What Comes Next
Lieu’s call for a ground-up overhaul of Pentagon spending arrives as Congress continues to weigh the administration’s fiscal 2027 defense budget request and additional war-related supplemental funding, with lawmakers in both parties signaling continued frustration over transparency from the Defense Department regarding both the war’s costs and its long-term regional strategy. Whether Lieu’s demand translates into specific legislative action remains to be seen, though it adds to a growing chorus of congressional voices — Republican and Democrat alike — questioning how Pentagon dollars have been allocated over the course of Operation Epic Fury.