The Middle East conflict has escalated further as the Iranian military and its regional allies claimed responsibility for a series of coordinated drone and missile attacks targeting major U.S. and Israeli installations. A spokesperson for the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters announced on Monday (March 23) that their forces successfully struck the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
IRGC Targets Strategic U.S. Hubs
According to the IRGC statement, the attacks—part of a campaign dubbed “Operation True Promise 4″—utilized a combination of ballistic missiles and suicide drones.
Prince Sultan Air Base (Al-Kharj, KSA): The IRGC described this as a critical hub for U.S. reconnaissance and air operations. They claimed ballistic missiles were used to target hangers housing intelligence aircraft.
U.S. 5th Fleet (Bahrain): The spokesperson asserted that the naval command center in Manama was hit by “precision strikes,” marking one of the most direct challenges to U.S. maritime authority in the Gulf since the war began on February 28.
Houthis Deploy ‘Arash-2’ Against Israeli Industry
Simultaneously, the Houthi-linked Al-Masirah news agency reported a daring long-range operation targeting the heart of Israel’s military infrastructure.
Target: The “Zionist Aerospace Industries Center” located near the Ben Gurion International Airport.
Weaponry: The group claimed to have deployed the Arash-2 attack drone, an advanced loitering munition with a reported range of 2,000 kilometers, specifically designed to penetrate sophisticated air defense systems like the Iron Dome.
Conflicting Reports and Interceptions
While the IRGC claims “crushing blows,” regional defense ministries have offered a different narrative:
Saudi Interceptions: The Saudi Ministry of Defense confirmed that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed two Iranian drones over the country’s eastern region on Monday morning.
U.S. & Israel Response: As of this report, both Washington and Tel Aviv have maintained their policy of not commenting on specific damage claims, though independent satellite imagery from earlier in the month has occasionally confirmed shrapnel damage and fires at these locations.
The “74th Wave” of Retaliation
Iranian military officials described these strikes as the “74th wave” of their retaliatory campaign following the U.S.-Israeli “Operation Epic Fury.” The IRGC warned that U.S. personnel are “under constant surveillance” and that no regional base hosting American troops would be safe from future strikes.
Military analysts warn that the targeting of the Aerospace Industries Center near Ben Gurion signals a shift toward hitting Israel’s economic and manufacturing “arteries” rather than just military border outposts.
