Iran missile strike wounds 10 U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia
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- Iran struck Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on Friday with a missile that injured 10 U.S. service members, two seriously, and damaged several refueling aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles, per the AP and WSJ
- The strike was the second successful attack on the base this month; a March 1 hit killed 26-year-old Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, and 13 U.S. service members have died in total since the start of "Operation Epic Fury"
- Over 300 service members have been wounded across the conflict, with 10 still in serious condition and 273 returned to duty, according to U.S. Central Command
- Iran publicly rejected the U.S. 15-point peace plan and submitted a counterproposal demanding sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, an end to hostilities, and a halt to attacks on government officials — though the Trump administration says Iran has not formally responded to its proposal sent through Pakistani mediators
- Marco Rubio told G7 foreign ministers in France that the conflict would end in two to four weeks, while President Trump has insisted the war will end soon even as the Pentagon deploys 2,500 Marines and 2,000 82nd Airborne paratroopers and weighs sending another 10,000 troops
Why it matters: The attack reveals a widening gap between the administration's diplomatic rhetoric and the battlefield picture: Iran is still penetrating U.S. air defenses in Saudi Arabia while ceasefire talks have produced a rejected counterproposal, and 13 dead and 300+ wounded since Operation Epic Fury began — paired with a potential 10,000-troop reinforcement — points to escalation, not resolution. Rubio's 2-4 week timeline and the troop surge are pulling in opposite directions.
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