US naval commander found dead in Bahrain

The United States Navy on Saturday informed that its Navy's chief in the Middle East, Vice Admiral Scott Stearney was found dead at his residence in Bahrain.

Al Jazeera quoted Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson as saying in a video, "This is devastating news for the Stearney family, for the team at 5th Fleet, and for the entire Navy."

"Scott Stearney was a decorated naval warrior. He was a devoted husband and father, and he was a good friend of all of us," Admiral Richardson added.

Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Bahraini Ministry of Interior are investigating the matter.

The Chicago-born naval commanded the US Naval Forces Central Command and the US Navy's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet, which is responsible for patrolling the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.

In recent years, the fleet has witnessed potential threats from pirates and weapons smugglers as well as Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats and Houthi rebels firing missiles at commercial ships from Yemen, Al Jazeera reported.