On Friday night at least 12 US soldiers were wounded in an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
A US military refuelling aircraft was also damaged, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal citing US and Saudi officials familiar with the details.
Two of the wounded soldiers are in very serious condition. The officials stated that the injured personnel were inside a structure that was struck during the attack, which involved at least one ballistic missile and several drones.
This missile strike marked at least the second time Prince Sultan Air Base has been targeted since the conflict began. An earlier strike at the start of the war resulted in damage to five refuelling aircraft. Following that incident, U.S. President Donald Trump criticised The Wall Street Journal, claiming, “They want us to lose the war.”
JUST IN🇮🇷❌🇺🇸🔥 US navy launched major strikes against IRGC targets across Iran after IRGC bombed Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
🚨US launches multiple Tomahawk missiles across IRGC sites in Iran. pic.twitter.com/B9vehQjUZz
— RKM (@rkmtimes) March 28, 2026
In other developments, CBS News reported that the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush is set to join the area of responsibility of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which is overseeing operations in the war with Iran. Sources indicated that the carrier could commence combat operations after completing an exercise earlier this month and is now available for operational missions.
Currently, two U.S. aircraft carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford, are operating in the Middle East as part of the conflict with Iran. Earlier in March, U.S. reports suggested that George H.W. Bush, along with a strike group of three guided-missile destroyers, would be deployed to the region. However, that deployment has not yet taken place. Military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai noted that one objective of sending a third carrier to the area, beyond maintaining a prolonged campaign without overextending forces, would be to deter Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have threatened to join the war—a possibility also articulated by Iran.
An Iranian ballistic missile scored a direct hit on Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB) in Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦🇺🇸.
PSAB is a key U.S. Air Force hub, hosting E-3 Sentry AWACS, E-11A BACNs, tankers, and fighter aircraft. pic.twitter.com/cRzGP4rXXn
— Egypt's Intel Observer (@EGYOSINT) March 6, 2026
It remains uncertain where precisely George H.W. Bush would be deployed. CENTCOM will need to decide whether to station it in the eastern Mediterranean to target western Iran or send it through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea. Ben-Yishai remarked that deploying this carrier would allow the other two to reduce their operational tempo and replenish supplies, effectively extending the operational capabilities of U.S. forces.
The United States has a total of 11 aircraft carriers. If a third one is deployed to the region, more than a quarter of them will be dedicated to the conflict with Iran: two older Nimitz-class carriers — the Bush and the Lincoln — along with the newer Gerald R. Ford-class carrier.
Sending the George H.W. Bush to the Middle East, if executed, would represent another measure by President Donald Trump to reinforce U.S. military forces in the region amid ongoing indirect communications with Iran through Pakistani mediation.
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