IRGC claims missile and drone strikes on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia and US Fifth Fleet HQ, Bahrain

Iran's IRGC Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters issued a statement on Day 24 claiming it had carried out missile and drone strikes against two major US military installations: 1. **Prince Sultan Air Base, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia** — Iran said the base was targeted because it hosts US reconnaissance aircraft and serves as a key American military hub in the region. A previous Iranian strike on March 13 damaged five USAF KC-135 refueling tankers at the same base. 2. **US Fifth Fleet Headquarters, Manama, Bahrain** — The Fifth Fleet's Bahrain headquarters, also targeted on Day 1 (Feb 28), is again claimed as a strike target. **Status:** Iranian claim via IRGC Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters. Neither the US (CENTCOM) nor Saudi Arabia had confirmed at time of reporting. **Context:** In a separate statement also on Day 24, CENTCOM chief General Brad Cooper told Iran International that Iran has targeted civilian sites across the region more than 300 times. Cooper noted Iran's attack scale has dropped sharply from the conflict's opening phase, with barrages now often involving only one or two projectiles — a sign of degraded launch capacity. He described the pattern as reflecting 'desperation' as Iranian capabilities decline. **Strategic significance:** Strikes on Prince Sultan (Al Kharj) and the Fifth Fleet (Manama) — if confirmed — represent sustained IRGC pressure on US rear-area assets across the Gulf, distinct from the Hormuz-line operations and consistent with Iran's multi-domain retaliation doctrine.