By MEE staff 28 March 2026
The Friday attack came a day after US President Donald Trump said that 99 percent of Iran's missiles had been destroyed.
"The problem with the straits is this: let's say we do a great job. We say we got 99 percent [of Iran's missiles]. 1 percent is unacceptable, because 1 percent is a missile going into the hull of a ship that cost a billion dollars," he said during a cabinet meeting.
Centcom has so far declined to specify how much of Iran's missile or drone capability has been destroyed in its attacks.
Reuters reported on Friday that the US was certain it had destroyed only around a third of Iran's missiles, despite Trump’s comments.
According to five people familiar with the US intelligence who spoke to Reuters, the status of around another third is less clear. However, US-Israeli strikes have likely damaged, destroyed or buried those missiles in underground tunnels and bunkers.
Iran's drone capability has also likely been reduced by a third, another source said.
The assessment, which comes one month after the beginning of the US-Israeli assault on Iran, suggests Tehran still retains substantial missile capability, and its ability to retaliate is far from eliminated.
According to Israeli military officials, Iran had 2,500 ballistic missiles capable of reaching Israel before the war.
So far, over 335 missile launchers have been "neutralised", representing 70 percent of Iran's launch capacity, a senior Israeli military official told Reuters.
Meanwhile, officials have warned that the US and Israel are "burning through" their supply of Tomahawk and interceptor missiles.
According to officials speaking to The Washington Post, the US has fired more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles in the four weeks of its war with Iran.
Only a few hundred of the cruise missiles are manufactured each year. While the Pentagon does not publicly disclose its stockpile, one official told the news outlet the number of Tomahawks left in the Middle East is “alarmingly low”.
Despite dwindling resources, a report by Axios on Thursday said the US Department of Defense was drafting plans for a “final blow” against Iran that includes ground troops and a massive bombing campaign.
A US Army carry team salutes the remains of Army Sergeant Benjamin N Pennington at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, 9 March 2026 (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via AFP)
An Iranian strike on a US military base in Saudi Arabia wounded at least a dozen American troops and damaged aircraft on Friday, according to media reports.
The Wall Street Journal cited officials as saying at least one missile and several drones struck Prince Sultan Air Base near Riyadh.
The Associated Press reported 15 injuries, including five serious cases, adding that Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones.
The attack reportedly damaged multiple refuelling aircraft and an E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System surveillance plane, according to Air and Space Forces Magazine.
The base has been targeted repeatedly since the US and Israel launched their campaign last month.
Two earlier attacks this week wounded at least 14 troops, the AP said.
Since the conflict began, 13 US service members have been killed - including one at Prince Sultan Air Base - and more than 300 wounded, according to US Central Command (Centcom).
The Wall Street Journal cited officials as saying at least one missile and several drones struck Prince Sultan Air Base near Riyadh.
The Associated Press reported 15 injuries, including five serious cases, adding that Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones.
The attack reportedly damaged multiple refuelling aircraft and an E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System surveillance plane, according to Air and Space Forces Magazine.
The base has been targeted repeatedly since the US and Israel launched their campaign last month.
Two earlier attacks this week wounded at least 14 troops, the AP said.
Since the conflict began, 13 US service members have been killed - including one at Prince Sultan Air Base - and more than 300 wounded, according to US Central Command (Centcom).
Iran's missile capabilities
The Friday attack came a day after US President Donald Trump said that 99 percent of Iran's missiles had been destroyed.
"The problem with the straits is this: let's say we do a great job. We say we got 99 percent [of Iran's missiles]. 1 percent is unacceptable, because 1 percent is a missile going into the hull of a ship that cost a billion dollars," he said during a cabinet meeting.
Centcom has so far declined to specify how much of Iran's missile or drone capability has been destroyed in its attacks.
Reuters reported on Friday that the US was certain it had destroyed only around a third of Iran's missiles, despite Trump’s comments.
According to five people familiar with the US intelligence who spoke to Reuters, the status of around another third is less clear. However, US-Israeli strikes have likely damaged, destroyed or buried those missiles in underground tunnels and bunkers.
Iran's drone capability has also likely been reduced by a third, another source said.
The assessment, which comes one month after the beginning of the US-Israeli assault on Iran, suggests Tehran still retains substantial missile capability, and its ability to retaliate is far from eliminated.
According to Israeli military officials, Iran had 2,500 ballistic missiles capable of reaching Israel before the war.
So far, over 335 missile launchers have been "neutralised", representing 70 percent of Iran's launch capacity, a senior Israeli military official told Reuters.
Meanwhile, officials have warned that the US and Israel are "burning through" their supply of Tomahawk and interceptor missiles.
According to officials speaking to The Washington Post, the US has fired more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles in the four weeks of its war with Iran.
Only a few hundred of the cruise missiles are manufactured each year. While the Pentagon does not publicly disclose its stockpile, one official told the news outlet the number of Tomahawks left in the Middle East is “alarmingly low”.
Despite dwindling resources, a report by Axios on Thursday said the US Department of Defense was drafting plans for a “final blow” against Iran that includes ground troops and a massive bombing campaign.
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