Iran Attacks Saudi Air Base, Injuring U.S. Personnel

On Friday, Iran conducted an attack on a Saudi air base, resulting in injuries to at least a dozen U.S. military personnel, with some conditions reported as serious.

The strike, involving both ballistic missiles and drones, targeted Prince Sultan Air Base. Reports indicated that at least 12 U.S. military members were injured—two of them seriously. Additionally, two U.S. Air Force KC-135 tanker planes sustained considerable damage from the attack, as reported by various media outlets citing an anonymous U.S. official.

This base, located approximately 60 miles from Riyadh, houses many of the 2,700 U.S. military personnel stationed in Saudi Arabia, a vital ally in the region.

Iran has declared that the missile and drone strikes not only destroyed one refueling aircraft but also caused damage to three others. The Islamic regime has shared satellite images, purportedly taken by China, showing a burning plane at the site.

Neither U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) nor U.S. Air Forces Central Command (AFCENT) provided immediate comments regarding the incident.

Since the beginning of President Trump’s Operation Epic Fury on February 28, there have been casualties in this ongoing conflict with Iran. Notably, 13 U.S. military personnel have lost their lives, including U.S. Army Sergeant Benjamin N. Pennington, who succumbed to wounds inflicted in an earlier attack on the same air base on March 1.

During a press briefing on Thursday, President Trump mentioned that significant discussions were ongoing concerning Iran. On March 20, the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had also targeted Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-UK military outpost in the Indian Ocean, although that attack did not hit its intended mark, igniting debates about the actual range of Iran’s missile capabilities. Iran’s foreign minister suggested that he had intentionally kept the range of missiles to a minimum for that specific attack.