- Iran claimed significant damage to a US E-3 AWACS plane at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia
- The strike involved six ballistic missiles and 29 drones targeting US military assets
- At least 10 US personnel were wounded, with two in serious condition, reports say
Iran on Friday claimed to have significantly damaged a United States aircraft during a retaliatory missile and drone strike on an American air base in Saudi Arabia.
The strikes reportedly hit Prince Sultan Air Base, where the now-destroyed E‑3 AWACS command and control plane was stationed alongside other US military assets.
Newly released images, published by Iran's Press TV, show the body of the plane obliterated, with only the head and tail intact. The attack reportedly involved six ballistic missiles and 29 drones.
Newly released images capture the damage caused to an American E-3 AWACS plane in Iranian retaliatory strikes on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
— Press TV ???? (@PressTV) March 29, 2026
Follow Press TV on Telegram: https://t.co/LWoNSpkc2J pic.twitter.com/ftFLmC5wuB
At least 10 US personnel were wounded, with two reported in serious condition, Associated Press reported. The strike involved an Iranian missile and several drones targeting the base.
Multiple refuelling aircraft were also damaged in the attack, preliminary reports indicate.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has not commented on the incident.
JUST IN: ???????????????? US Air Force plane completely destroyed following Iranian strikes at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/PYGl4tDVFM
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) March 29, 2026
Press TV reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) used long-range and medium-range missile systems, along with attack drones, to target facilities linked to US and Israeli interests. Iran also claimed to have shot down a US MQ-9 drone and hit an F-16 jet.
The Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia was larger than expected.
— Egypt's Intel Observer (@EGYOSINT) March 28, 2026
Multiple refueling aircraft and an E-3 Sentry AWACS were reportedly among the planes damaged in the strike.
At least 15 U.S. troops were wounded, including five who were seriously injured. https://t.co/PV00pVmyv3 pic.twitter.com/0qJM0z0K21
The base has been targeted repeatedly since the US and Israel began their unprovoked war on Iran on February 28. The coalition has since assassinated several top Iranian officials, including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and security chief Ali Larijani. The targeted missiles also hit a girls school in Minab and killed around 180 school girls.
The war, now into its second month, has seen retaliatory strikes by Tehran on US air bases on the Gulf.
???? WHY IRAN'S STRIKE ON A U.S. E-3 SENTRY IS A BIG DEAL
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) March 29, 2026
1. The U.S. E-3 Sentry AWACS fleet is tiny. The U.S. now has only about 17 aircraft left after decades of retirements. Losing even one is a serious strategic loss.
2. Six E-3s were deployed to the Gulf theatre, nearly 40%… pic.twitter.com/mLls8laznM
The war has now expanded beyond Saudi Arabia. Yemen's Houthi rebels reportedly fired missiles at Israel on Saturday. Tehran has also threatened retaliatory strikes on Israeli and US universities following attacks on Iranian academic institutions.
Explosions rocked Tehran on Sunday morning, killing two people and wounding five in a residential area near Shaft city, according to Iran's Mehr News Agency. Fars News Agency reported additional injuries in northern and western neighborhoods of the Iranian capital.
Civilian infrastructure has also been affected. Attacks on Saturday killed a family of four in Bushehr province and struck a water facility in Khuzestan province.
The Iranian army also said that it targeted an electronic warfare and radar centre operated by Israeli defence company Elta at Haifa's military aerospace complex, as well as a fuel storage facility at Ben Gurion Airport.
