Members of the Bahrain School Class of 2026 pose for a photo outside the U.S. Department of Defense school in Manama, Bahrain. The Navy has since told military and civilian families they will not return to the island before the start of the fall semester because of ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East. (Department of Defense Education Activity)
The U.S. Navy does not intend to return military or civilian families to Bahrain before the start of the Department of Defense school system’s fall semester, dependents learned in a message from Navy officials on Friday. Officials attributed the delay to ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East.
Thousands of families fled Bahrain in early March after the start of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led military campaign against Iran. The small island nation in the Persian Gulf hosts the forward headquarters of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and typically is home to some 8,300 service members, dependents and civilians.
Since evacuating, families have been sheltering in temporary safe havens in the U.S. and overseas. Many had hoped to return to the island by the mid-August start of the new school year, but the continuing U.S.-Iran tensions have postponed those plans.
“Due to the ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East and to ensure the safety and security of our families, the Navy does not intend to return military families or affiliated civilian families to Naval Support Activity Bahrain prior to the start of the fall semester,” read the message, seen by Stars and Stripes.
A spokesperson for the Navy confirmed the message, adding that the service “remains committed to personnel and family safety throughout this period of transition and will provide additional updates as the operational environment evolves.”
The Department of Defense Education Activity did not immediately comment on the email.
Families were advised to consider enrolling their students in alternate Defense Department schools or in local school districts pending a “future decision on return of families once conditions allow.”
U.S. Central Command head Adm. Brad Cooper said in May that he’d like to see families back in Bahrain as soon as possible but did not provide a timeline or conditions for their return.
For families awaiting clarity, the guidance follows weeks of uncertainty. In June, the Department of Defense Education Activity initially said its Bahrain schools would remain closed in August before later saying no final decision had been made.
NSA Bahrain has sustained significant damage from Iranian drone and missile fire over the last four months, and it is unclear when operations will return to normal.
The U.S. and Iran continue to negotiate the terms of a final deal after signing an initial memorandum of understanding to end the war last month.
The parties met separately with mediators in Doha this week, where “positive progress” was made, according to Qatari officials. The talks followed last week’s exchange of fire that threatened to undermine the fragile ceasefire agreement signed in June.
