Updated

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi welcomed comments from Hung Cao, the US Navy's acting secretary and a Trump appointee, who publicly acknowledged that Iranian attacks during the recent war caused extensive damage to a key US naval base in Bahrain. Cao reportedly said Iranian forces 'blew the hell out of' the base, a striking admission from a senior US defense official. Araghchi responded on social media platform X, writing that Iran's armed forces did indeed inflict the damage described, framing the remarks as validation of Iran's military capabilities during the conflict. The exchange adds a new dimension to the ongoing rhetorical sparring between Washington and Tehran following their recent military confrontation.