Iran Likely Destroyed Another US KC-135 Stratotanker

Iran likely destroyed at least one more US Air Force aircraft at an airbase in Saudi Arabia with a missile strike.

This was reported by Militarnyi based on an analysis of satellite imagery from the Copernicus service.

It is currently unclear exactly which aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base was hit; it was likely one of the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft based at this airbase.

On the morning of March 27, 2026, the official account of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense reported that Iran had launched six ballistic missiles toward the Riyadh region. It was stated that two missiles were intercepted, while the other four “fell into the waters of the Persian Gulf and uninhabited areas.”

Shortly thereafter, users on the social network X noticed that a massive fire was raging at Prince Sultan Air Base.

An analysis of available low-resolution satellite images reveals a large burn mark at the location where, on March 22, a large aircraft—the exact type of which is unknown but which corresponds in size to a KC-135 Stratotanker—was stationed.

In addition, an Iranian satellite image is circulating online that allegedly shows the destruction of three refueling aircraft and damage to four others. However, it is impossible to verify its authenticity.

This is not the first loss of US tanker aircraft during the 2026 campaign against Iran. According to information from the Wall Street Journal, in mid-March, an Iranian missile strike on an airbase in Saudi Arabia damaged five US Air Force tanker aircraft.

In addition, one KC-135 was lost, and another sustained minor damage to its tail section, likely as a result of a mid-air collision on the night of March 13.