NPR News: 03-28-2026 12PM EDT

Iran's recent missile and drone attack on a U.S. airbase exposed vulnerabilities in American defenses, amid broader U.S.-Iran tensions under President Trump.

Iran Attacks U.S. Airbase After Israeli Strikes

Iran launched multiple missiles and dozens of drones at the Prince Sultan Airbase, a significant breach of U.S. air defenses according to military experts. Reuters cited unidentified U.S. officials reporting injuries, with two U.S. refueling tankers destroyed and others damaged; these tankers support fighter jets in mid-air refueling. The attack followed Israeli strikes on Iran's largest steel plants. NPR's Jain Araf reported from Amman. Skeptics, including one analyst, doubt President Trump can fully end Iran's ballistic missile program, noting that even optimistic estimates suggest strikes might degrade it by at most 75%, leaving 25% capacity intact. Drones are even harder to eliminate entirely, meaning Iran retains attack potential. An initial report mentioned the Israeli military intercepting a missile, but details were sparse. This escalation highlights limits of air campaigns against hardened, distributed targets like Iran's missile infrastructure.