Iran has damaged a US early-warning radar aircraft in Saudi Arabia

A US Boeing E-3 Sentry long-range early warning and control aircraft is believed to have sustained serious damage as a result of the Iranian attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, according to The Public, citing Deutsche Welle.

Photographs of the damaged aircraft were published by social media users and Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB. On 29 March, the British media organisation the BBC and the news agency AFP reported that they had verified these images. The photos show that the aircraft has been split in two.

A combined missile and drone strike on Prince Sultan Air Base near the city of Al-Khobar in Saudi Arabia took place on 28 March. Twelve American servicemen were injured in the attack, two of whom are in a serious condition.

Significant damage to at least two Boeing KC-135 tanker aircraft was also reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview with the American television channel NBC on 28 March that Russia had provided Iran with satellite imagery for this attack.

The US and Israel have been carrying out air strikes on Iranian territory since 28 February. According to reports, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a number of senior officials and security personnel were killed in these strikes.

There were also reports of a strike on an Iranian nuclear facility in Natanz. The International Atomic Energy Agency has not detected any increase in radiation levels near the facility.

In response, Iran is firing missiles and drones at Israel and the Gulf states. According to statements from the Islamic Republic, the targets in Arab countries are US military bases.

Oil storage facilities in several Gulf countries and oil tankers have also been hit. Since the start of the war, Azerbaijan and Cyprus, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, have also been affected.