President Donald Trump said four U.S. Air Force tanker planes are “back in service” following reports of damage from an Iranian missile strike in Saudi Arabia.
Five U.S. Air Force refueling tanks were damaged, but not completely destroyed, in a strike at Prince Sultan air base in recent days, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. No one was killed, and officials are now working to repair the tankers, the outlet’s sources said.
In a Saturday morning Truth Social post, Trump railed against the “Fake News Media” and said the base was “hit a few days ago.” None of the planes were “‘struck’ or ‘destroyed,’” he added.
“Four of the five had virtually no damage, and are already back in service,” Trump wrote. “One had slightly more damage, but will be in the air shortly.”
At least seven U.S. Air Force refueling planes have been damaged or destroyed amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to the Journal.
This comes after U.S. officials announced a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq, killing all six service members on board. The aircraft went down on March 12 while flying over friendly airspace.
“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” U.S. Central Command said Friday.
The Independent has contacted U.S. Central Command for comment. The Pentagon declined to comment.
