Iran Claims to Have Attacked US Air Base in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain

Iran claims to have launched airstrikes targeting US military assets at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that its forces attacked Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia as well as the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain using a combination of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). The IRGC emphasised that Prince Sultan Air Base is a strategic location for the deployment and operations of US military forces, including as a base for reconnaissance aircraft. “The site was then targeted with ballistic missiles,” said a representative of the group, as quoted by TRT World. Separately, the Houthi group in Yemen, through its Al Masirah news agency, claimed to have attacked the Zionist Aerospace Industries Centre near Ben Gurion Air Base. The attack was reportedly carried out using Arash-2 assault drones. However, these claims have not yet been independently verified, and to date, there has been no official comment from US or Israeli officials. On the other hand, US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Brad Cooper described Iran’s actions as a form of desperation. According to Cooper, Iran’s military capabilities are currently experiencing a significant decline. “They are operating as a sign of desperation. In recent weeks, they have deliberately attacked civilian targets more than 300 times,” Cooper told the UK-based Iran International channel. Cooper highlighted a change in the pattern of Iranian attacks indicating a weakening of combat power. “At the beginning of the conflict, you saw large volumes in dozens of drones and missiles. You no longer see that. Now it’s just one or two at a time,” he added. Pentagon data further supports this statement, recording a drastic decline in Iran’s firing capacity. In the first week of March, missile launches were reported to have dropped by up to 90% compared to the first day of battle, while drone attacks also experienced a decline of 86%.