ALBAWABA - Iran claimed to have hit and destroyed a U.S. E-3G Sentry AWACS aircraft during a missile and drone attack on Al Kharj Air Base in Saudi Arabia, Mizan news agency reported Sunday.
The Iranian agency posted images featuring the destroyed American E-3G Sentry AWACS aircraft.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also posted a photo of the damaged jet and clarified that Tehran "respects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and considers it a brotherly nation." He added that Iran is targeting American assets in the region.
He wrote, "Our operations are aimed at enemy aggressors who have no respect for Arabs or Iranians, nor can provide any security. Just look at what we did to their aerial command. High time to eject U.S. forces."
The head of Iran's judiciary news agency wrote on X, "Some published images show that one E-3G Sentry AWACS aircraft with registration number 0005-81, belonging to the 552nd Air Wing stationed at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, United States, was destroyed during Iran's missile and drone attack on Al Kharj Air Base."
According to the media, the ballistic missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, which is a military air base located in Al Kharj, in Saudi Arabia, took place on March 27.
Nonetheless, Mizan also posted a satellite image to confirm the destruction of an E3 AWACS (Airborne Early Warning and Control) command-and-control aircraft at the U.S. Army Base in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia
According to Defense Security Asia website, the American aircraft is considered one of the most operationally consequential U.S. aircraft losses of "Operation Epic Fury" and a main airborne warning and control asset from the 552nd Air Control Wing.
The Telegraph also mentioned that at least 12 American soldiers have been injured in an Iranian attack on an American air base in the Gulf country, adding that at least two KC-135 aerial refuelling planes and an E-3 Sentry were also reportedly damaged on Friday attack by Tehran.
