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Iran Guards say targeted U.S. forces at Saudi base with missiles

March 14, 2026 4 min read International Relations Internal Security GS Paper 2 (International Relations) GS Paper 3 (Internal Security — External Threats)
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What Happened

  • Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it had targeted US forces at Prince Sultan Air Base (Al-Kharj) in Saudi Arabia — which Iran described as the primary launch point for US F-35 and F-16 fighter jets striking Iran, and the storage facility for aerial refueling tankers.
  • This strike was designated as Wave 51 of Iran's "Operation True Promise 4" retaliatory campaign — indicating the scale and systematic nature of Iran's response.
  • The IRGC used a combination of ballistic missiles and drones, damaging multiple aircraft including five Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft.
  • Saudi Arabia had been permitting US forces to operate from its territory for strikes against Iran, making it a co-belligerent in Iran's assessment despite Riyadh's official public position.
  • The strikes on the base resulted in at least 29 US servicemen wounded across the week of attacks at that facility.

Static Topic Bridges

Prince Sultan Air Base (Al-Kharj) — Strategic Significance

Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB), located at Al-Kharj approximately 80 kilometres southeast of Riyadh, is the largest US military air base in the Gulf region. It houses the US Air Force 378th Air Expeditionary Wing and has served as a staging post for US air operations across the Middle East since the 1990s. The base was vacated by the US in 2003 following the Iraq War but was reactivated for US operations in subsequent years.

  • PSAB hosts advanced US Air Force assets including F-35 and F-16 fighters, KC-135 tankers, and E-3 AWACS surveillance aircraft.
  • It serves as the command hub for US Air Forces Central Command (AFCENT) regional operations.
  • Saudi Arabia's decision to host US strike operations from PSAB during the 2026 war implicitly aligned Riyadh with Washington, exposing Saudi territory to Iranian retaliation.
  • An Iranian strike on March 27, 2026 destroyed one Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS and one KC-46 Pegasus tanker, and damaged several KC-135s.

Connection to this news: PSAB's role as the forward operating base for US strikes on Iran made it a primary Iranian targeting priority. Tehran justified its strikes on Saudi soil by pointing to Saudi Arabia's active facilitation of US military operations against Iran.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — Structure and Doctrine

The IRGC (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami) was established in 1979 following the Islamic Revolution to safeguard the revolutionary government. Unlike Iran's regular army (Artesh), the IRGC reports directly to the Supreme Leader and is constitutionally mandated to protect the "Islamic Republic" system — not merely territorial sovereignty. The IRGC has evolved into a comprehensive military, economic, and intelligence organisation.

  • The IRGC has five service branches: Ground Forces, Aerospace Force (ballistic missiles and drones), Navy (controls Strait of Hormuz operations), Quds Force (external operations), and Basij (paramilitary volunteer force).
  • The IRGC Aerospace Force controls Iran's ballistic missile arsenal — estimated at 3,000+ missiles across various ranges.
  • In 2019, the US designated the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organization — the first such designation of a state military entity.
  • The IRGC Navy operates fast attack boats and midget submarines in the Persian Gulf and has conducted numerous seizures and harassment of commercial vessels.

Connection to this news: The IRGC's Aerospace Force conducted the Al-Kharj strikes using its ballistic missile inventory, demonstrating Iran's ability to strike US military infrastructure deep inside the Arabian Peninsula even under active US air operations.

Operation True Promise — Iran's Retaliatory Campaign

Iran has used the name "Operation True Promise" (Wa'd-e Sadiq) for its major retaliatory missile strikes. Operation True Promise 1 (April 2024) was Iran's first direct retaliatory strike on Israel, launching over 300 drones and missiles in response to Israel's killing of IRGC senior commanders in Damascus. In the 2026 war, Operation True Promise 4 represents the sustained multi-wave missile and drone campaign launched by Iran across the Gulf region.

  • Operation True Promise 1 (April 2024) involved approximately 170 drones, 120 ballistic missiles, and 30 cruise missiles; most were intercepted.
  • The 2026 Operation True Promise 4 involved over 3,000 projectiles (missiles and drones) fired at GCC states over several weeks — a dramatically larger scale.
  • Targets included military bases hosting US forces (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain), energy infrastructure, airports, and industrial facilities.
  • Wave 51 — the numbering cited in the Al-Kharj strike — indicates Iran had already conducted 50 prior waves of retaliatory strikes by March 14.

Connection to this news: The Al-Kharj strike was part of a systematic Iranian campaign to raise the cost of US military operations by targeting the logistics and refueling infrastructure that makes sustained air strikes on Iran possible.

Key Facts & Data

  • Prince Sultan Air Base (Al-Kharj) is located approximately 80 km southeast of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • The IRGC strike on Al-Kharj was designated Wave 51 of Operation True Promise 4.
  • Five Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft were damaged in strikes on March 13, 2026.
  • At least 29 US servicemen were wounded across the week of attacks on the base.
  • A subsequent strike on March 27 destroyed one E-3 AWACS and one KC-46 Pegasus tanker.
  • Iran targeted F-35 and F-16 fighter jets and aerial refueling tankers — the infrastructure that enables sustained US air operations over Iran.
  • The 2026 conflict saw Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain totalling over 3,000 projectiles.