Iran Missile Strike in Saudi Injures US Troops

Iran stepped up its regional attacks on Friday, launching missiles at Israel and Gulf states, including a strike on a military base in Saudi Arabia that injured at least 10 U.S. service members, according to American officials.

Two of the injured troops were reported to be in serious condition. Officials said the missile strike also damaged several U.S. refuelling aircraft stationed at Prince Sultan Air Base.

The attack marked a major escalation in the widening regional conflict, underlining the growing risk of direct fallout for U.S. forces deployed across the Middle East.

At the same time, Israel indicated it may expand its military campaign against Iran, while U.S. forces also carried out fresh strikes.

Despite earlier threats to target Iran’s energy facilities over the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump appeared to soften his stance, extending a deadline for the reopening of the strategic waterway until April 6.

Trump said Iran had asked for more time and claimed efforts toward a possible settlement were moving in a positive direction. Tehran, however, has publicly denied holding negotiations with Washington over any plan to end the conflict.

Meanwhile, Iran launched more missiles towards Israel early Saturday, following earlier attacks that killed one person and wounded several others.

Air raid sirens sounded in northern Israel near the Lebanese border, where cross-border attacks involving Hezbollah have continued to raise fears of a broader war.

Violence also intensified in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinian officials said Israeli forces killed three people in separate incidents.

A 22-year-old man was killed during a raid in the Qalandiya refugee camp, where mourners later gathered in large numbers for his funeral. Another man was reportedly killed during a subsequent raid in the same area.

In a separate incident near Bethlehem, a 15-year-old boy died after being shot during an Israeli military operation. The Israeli military said its troops opened fire following clashes involving stone-throwing.

Amid the spiralling conflict, Trump again sought to cast himself as a figure of peace, saying he hoped history would remember him as a peacemaker despite the intensifying war.

The strike on the Saudi base has added a dangerous new dimension to the crisis, signalling that the conflict is increasingly spilling across borders and drawing in foreign forces.