U.S. Central Command rejected on Tuesday, March 31, a claim by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that it struck a residence housing American pilots and aircrew in Saudi Arabia with drones and missiles.
The IRGC said the attack hit a gathering of about 200 people, but CENTCOM has since called the assertion false and compared it to a similar claim the group made about Dubai on March 28.
“No U.S. personnel have been attacked,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X. “The IRGC’s continued efforts to spread lies are desperate attempts to distract from the truth. Iranian forces are losing vast amounts of military capability as U.S. forces continue delivering unrelenting firepower.”
The statement noted that Iranian leaders made the same claim about a supposed strike in Dubai days earlier, which was also found to be unfounded.
The development arrives amid a continuing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran that began in late February.
Iranian forces have launched multiple waves of missiles and drones at U.S. and allied positions in the Gulf region.
Four days earlier, on March 27, an Iranian missile and drone attack did strike Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, which hosts U.S. troops and aircraft.
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U.S. officials confirmed that 12 American service members were wounded in that assault, with two of them seriously injured.
The strike also damaged several U.S. aircraft at the base, including refueling tankers and at least one E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system plane.
Prince Sultan Air Base, located outside Riyadh, functions as a key hub for American air operations in the region. Officials described the March 27 attack as one of the more direct hits on U.S. forces since the fighting started.
CENTCOM has not linked Tuesday’s IRGC claim directly to the Prince Sultan strike. Instead, the command focused on what it called a pattern of fabricated Iranian statements meant to create the appearance of successes on the battlefield.
The IRGC has issued several similar announcements during the conflict. On March 28, it claimed a major strike on U.S. “hideouts” in Dubai that supposedly caused more than 500 casualties.
CENTCOM and local authorities in the United Arab Emirates said no such attack took place and no U.S. personnel were harmed there.
U.S. military officials say Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks across the Gulf have decreased sharply since the early weeks of the war.
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They report that combined U.S. and Israeli operations have hit thousands of targets inside Iran, including missile production sites, air defenses, and command centers.
More than 300 U.S. service members have been wounded since the conflict began, according to Pentagon figures, though many have returned to duty. Thirteen Americans have been killed.
Endless IRGC claims
The latest IRGC claim surfaced as the war entered its second month. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have described Iran’s military as severely degraded, with its ability to launch large-scale attacks diminished.
Saudi Arabia has not issued a public comment on the specific IRGC allegation about the pilots’ residence.
The kingdom hosts thousands of U.S. troops and has worked closely with Washington on regional security for decades.
Information warfare has played a prominent role in the conflict. Both sides have used social media to shape narratives, with Iran frequently posting videos and statements claiming direct hits on high-value U.S. targets.
U.S. officials have countered with regular fact-check style releases from CENTCOM.
The IRGC appears to recycle elements of real events, such as the confirmed strike on Prince Sultan Air Base, as broader claims of mass casualties that have not been independently verified.
No footage or evidence has emerged to support the latest IRGC assertion about the residence of pilots and aircrew. CENTCOM said Iranian forces continue to lose equipment and positions under sustained U.S. pressure.
U.S. forces in the Gulf remain on high alert as operations under the name “Epic Fury” proceed.
