Riyadh/Washington, March 28, 2026 (Agencies) — The conflict between the United States and Iran has entered its second month with fresh escalations, as Iranian retaliatory strikes injured at least 29 US troops and damaged several refueling aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
President Donald Trump, speaking at a Saudi-backed investment conference on Friday, claimed that Iran was being “decimated” and insisted the country had no capacity to fight back. He said the US military had “3,554 targets left” to strike in Iran, while the Department of War recently touted the milestone of 10,000 sorties.
Despite the intensifying military campaign, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed hope that talks with Iranian officials could take place this week. However, Pentagon sources revealed that options for a “final blow” against Iran are being drafted, including the possible deployment of a third aircraft carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, to the Middle East.
Iran’s latest attacks involved waves of drones and missiles targeting US and Israeli facilities, with Tehran vowing to exact a “heavy price” after two of its largest steel factories, a power plant, and civilian nuclear sites — including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant — came under attack in the past 24 hours. The UN nuclear watchdog confirmed that Iran reported a suspected Israeli strike near Bushehr, the third such incident in ten days.
Trump also lashed out at NATO, calling it a “paper tiger” that made a “tremendous mistake” by failing to support US operations against Iran. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi-led armed forces warned that their “hands are on the trigger for direct military intervention” if US and Israeli aggression continues against Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza.
The developments underscore the widening scope of the war, with regional actors signaling readiness to escalate further as Washington weighs its next moves.