Over a dozen US troops wounded in Iranian strike on Saudi airbase
Iran struck several key facilities across the Persian Gulf and Israel in retaliation for attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and key industrial sites on Friday
Iranian missile and drone retaliatory strikes targeted Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia on 27 March, wounding at least 12 US troops and damaging aircraft and buildings, just hours after Israeli attacks hit Iranian nuclear facilities.
Two US officials confirmed the attack injured at least a dozen service members, including two in serious condition, with later estimates suggesting the toll could rise to 15 or more.
The strike damaged several refueling aircraft at the base, and further reports suggested an E-3 Sentry command plane might also have been hit.
The strikes came in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear and industrial infrastructure, including a uranium processing facility in Yazd, the Khondab heavy water complex, and major steel plants in Isfahan and Khuzestan.
The attack also hit areas near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant and cities such as Tehran, Kashan, and Ahwaz, with Iranian officials warning they would “exact [a] heavy price” for the attacks.
A day before the escalation, US President Donald Trump declared Iran had been “obliterated,” and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said its military had been “neutralized.”
Washington has reported mounting casualties since launching its war against Iran on 28 February, with 13 US service members killed and more than 300 wounded.
Washington is preparing further deployments in West Asia, with plans including at least 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, alongside thousands of Marines.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US “can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops,” while emphasizing that military preparations aim to provide “maximum optionality.”
Separately, Washington has proposed a 15-point ceasefire plan through Pakistan, which Iran dismissed, saying the US is “negotiating with itself” and denying that any talks are in progress.
On Friday, Trump declared Saudi leaders did not expect to be in a position of relying on US military protection, claiming Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “didn’t think he’d be kissing my ass."