Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base on Friday, striking the facility that hosts both Saudi and U.S. forces. U.S. officials said at least 12 American service members were wounded, several seriously. A U.S. official speaking on background told NPR some aircraft at the base were apparently damaged. Iran released Chinese satellite images it said showed burning aircraft, claiming one in-flight refueling tanker was destroyed and three others damaged.
The attack on Prince Sultan comes roughly one month into the wider conflict, during which Iran has targeted U.S. personnel at bases across the region in retaliation for U.S. strikes and to pressure Washington to withdraw forces. The Pentagon has put the cumulative U.S. toll at 13 killed and more than 300 injured.
Cross-border strikes continue across the region
Violence persisted elsewhere: early Saturday, strikes were reported in Israel with eight impact sites in and around Tel Aviv, including at a university. Israeli officials reported one civilian killed and two injured. Iran and its proxies reported strikes on multiple industrial facilities in Iran amid continued U.S. and Israeli attacks; residents bypassing internet blackouts posted videos showing fires at steel and cement plants in southern and central Iran, including Isfahan.
Israel also said it struck a heavy water reactor in Iran that it considers part of Tehran’s nuclear-enrichment infrastructure. Iran responded with strikes on targets in Israel and neighboring Gulf states. Bahrain and the UAE reported intercepting Iranian drones overnight, and a worker in Oman was wounded by a drone.
Houthis launch first strike toward Israel
For the first time in this phase of the conflict, Israel intercepted a missile launched from Yemen toward its territory. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility. The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen including Sanaa and western areas, have previously targeted ships in the Red Sea, repeatedly disrupting shipping. They have carried out scores of attacks on merchant vessels in recent months.
Escalation on the Israel-Lebanon border
Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and Beirut continued as Israel said it was intensifying operations and moving thousands of troops northward across the border to confront Hezbollah. Israel has said it aims to seize ground up to the Litani River and has ordered residents to evacuate areas beyond that line. Lebanese health authorities say the campaign has displaced roughly a fifth of the country’s population and killed more than 1,100 people; thousands more are fleeing and some civilians are sheltering in venues such as a soccer stadium in southern Beirut.
Israel has targeted roads, bridges, homes and gas stations. Both sides released battlefield footage: the Israeli military published footage of a senior commander with troops in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah released video it said showed a guided missile striking an Israeli tank. Israel says it has killed several members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operating in Lebanon; Iran’s Foreign Ministry has reported the deaths of six Iranian diplomats there.
U.S. assessment of Iran’s missile capabilities
U.S. officials say they have made progress degrading Iran’s missile forces. An anonymous U.S. official told NPR the U.S. has been able to confirm the elimination of roughly one-third of Iran’s missile capabilities, an assessment first reported by Reuters. Officials define that program broadly—covering factories that produce weapons, launchers and the missiles themselves. U.S. leaders say strikes have significantly reduced Iranian missile launches since the opening days of the war, though missiles and drones remain among Iran’s most effective tools.
Diplomacy, shipping and troop movements
After a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in France, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the conflict need not become prolonged and suggested political and military objectives might be achieved without large-scale ground operations. The G7 issued a joint statement urging an immediate end to strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure and calling for restoration of safe, toll-free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has effectively disrupted much shipping through the strait during the conflict; about one-fifth of global oil typically transits that waterway, and U.S. officials warned Iran might attempt to impose fees on transiting vessels.
In response to the widening conflict, thousands of U.S. Marines and Army troops are being deployed to the Middle East to reinforce regional bases and protect shipping and personnel.
Reporting contributions came from journalists across the region, including correspondents in Amman, Van (Turkey), Beirut, Tel Aviv, Washington and Seville.
