Prince Keyword in Focus as Iran Hits Saudi Base, U.S. Troops Wounded
prince is at the center of the latest escalation after Iran fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan air base on Friday, wounding American service members. U. S. officials and people briefed on the matter say the number of U. S. wounded in the Iran war has now grown beyond 300, with more than two dozen injured this week in attacks tied to the Saudi installation. The developments unfolded as additional American forces continued arriving in the Middle East, a buildup U. S. Central Command publicly confirmed Saturday.
Prince Sultan Air Base strike leaves at least 15 U. S. troops injured
Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones at Prince Sultan air base in an attack Friday that injured at least 15 U. S. troops, including five seriously, based on information from two people briefed on the matter. U. S. officials had initially said at least 10 troops were injured, including two seriously wounded, before the higher figure emerged.
The Saudi base had already come under attack twice earlier in the week. In one of those incidents, 14 U. S. troops were injured, the same two people said. In the other attack, no one was injured, but a U. S. aircraft was damaged.
Prince Sultan air base is run by the Royal Saudi Air Force and is also used by U. S. troops. It sits about 96 kilometers (60 miles) from the Saudi capital of Riyadh. The installation has been targeted almost since the beginning of the war, which on Saturday reached the one-month mark.
U. S. forces expand regional presence as Washington weighs options
More American forces are reaching the Middle East, with a Navy ship carrying about 2, 500 Marines now arrived in the region, U. S. Central Command announced Saturday. The USS Tripoli—an amphibious assault ship—arrived with elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, which are based in Japan. The unit had been conducting exercises in the area around Taiwan when it received orders to deploy to the Middle East almost two weeks ago.
Central Command said the Tripoli’s deployment brings more than Marines: it also adds transport and strike fighter aircraft, along with amphibious assault assets. The USS Boxer and two other ships, along with another Marine Expeditionary Unit, have also been ordered to the region from San Diego.
Before this new arrival, the U. S. military had already built what officials described as the largest American force in the region in more than 20 years, including two aircraft carriers, several other warships, and some 50, 000 troops. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the nation’s newest aircraft carrier, recently left the Middle East for repairs and supplies in Europe after a fire in a laundry room affected some of the ship’s sleeping quarters.
Immediate reactions from U. S. leadership
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke Friday on how the United States could pursue its goals without a major ground commitment. Rubio said the United States can meet its objectives “without any ground troops, ” while also stressing the need to prepare for shifting conditions.
Rubio added that President Donald Trump “has to be prepared for multiple contingencies” and said American forces are available “to give the president maximum optionality and maximum, opportunity to adjust to contingencies should they emerge. ”
Quick context: casualties and the war’s one-month mark
One U. S. service member, Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, was wounded during a March 1 attack on the base and died days later. He is among 13 U. S. service members killed in the war.
What’s next as prince remains central to the fast-moving battlefield picture
With the war reaching its one-month mark Saturday, attention is now fixed on whether the attacks on the Saudi installation continue and how U. S. commanders adjust force posture as more units arrive. For now, the injury toll and repeated strikes tied to the same location keep prince in the spotlight as U. S. leaders emphasize readiness for “multiple contingencies” while assessing the next phase of operations.
