12 U.S. Troops Seriously Injured in Direct Hit on Saudi Air Base

An Iranian ballistic-missile and drone strike hit Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on Friday, wounding at least 10 to 12 American service members and damaging several U.S. military aircraft, U.S. and Saudi officials told The Wall Street Journal and other outlets.

The attack occurred at the sprawling base roughly 60 miles southeast of Riyadh, a key hub shared by U.S. and Saudi forces that has supported American air operations across the Middle East for years. U.S. troops were inside a building when it was struck, officials said. No deaths were reported.

CBS News, citing multiple U.S. officials, reported that 10 Americans were injured — two very seriously and eight seriously. Subsequent reporting by The Wall Street Journal and others raised the toll to 12 wounded, with two in serious condition. Some troops suffered concussions; the rest were treated for blast-related injuries.

The strike involved at least one Iranian ballistic missile and several drones, according to officials familiar with the matter. It penetrated base defenses and damaged multiple U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft, primarily KC-135 Stratotankers. Satellite imagery that surfaced online appeared to show damage to aircraft on the apron; the planes were hit but not destroyed and are being repaired, sources said. Some reports also mentioned possible damage to surveillance aircraft.

This marks one of the most serious direct hits on U.S. forces since the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran began on Feb. 28 over Tehran’s nuclear program. U.S. Central Command said earlier Friday that more than 300 American service members have been wounded in the conflict so far, with 13 killed; the majority of the wounded have returned to duty, but roughly 30 remain sidelined.