Satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by the Associated Press shows empty piers at the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, with all vessels that normally dock there now positioned at sea, according to Military.com. 

The U.S. Central Command, when asked for comments, declined to provide details on the fleet’s current location.

The movement comes one day before U.S. and Iranian negotiators meet in Geneva for a third round of nuclear talks, confirmed by Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi on X. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to meet U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Pleased to confirm US-Iran negotiations are now set for Geneva this Thursday, with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalizing the deal.

— Badr Albusaidi – بدر البوسعيدي (@badralbusaidi) February 22, 2026

The move follows a familiar pattern. Before Iran launched ballistic missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on June 23, 2025, the 5th Fleet spread its ships at sea to reduce their vulnerability to attack.

That attack, which Qatar’s air defenses largely intercepted, marked the first direct Iranian strike on a Gulf state.

Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani warned last week that all U.S. bases and assets in the region would constitute “legitimate targets” if Washington attacks Iran. 

The U.S. has assembled its largest Middle Eastern naval presence in decades as it prepares for a potential strike. The USS Abraham Lincoln strike group operates in the Arabian Sea, while the USS Gerald R. Ford arrived at Souda Bay, Crete, this week, according to USNI News.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that he would order military action against Iran if the U.S. and Iran fail to reach a nuclear deal aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.