Six American soldiers killed in Iranian drone attack on a military site in Kuwait, United States confirms

2 minutes of readingUpdated: Mar 4, 2026 08:37 am IST

Six U.S. service members were killed in an Iranian attack on a U.S. military site in Kuwait on Sunday, U.S. officials confirmed. According to the US military, an unmanned aerial system breached air defenses and crashed into a bunker in Port Shuaiba on Sunday.

Initial statements from US Central Command reported three deaths. However, on Monday, authorities revised the figure to six after one wounded soldier died and two more bodies were recovered from the rubble.

These are the only confirmed US military deaths since Washington joined Israel in launching a new military campaign against Iran.

according to bbcThe US military identified four of the fallen soldiers, all members of the US Army Reserve, as Captain Cody Khork, 35; Sergeant Noah Tietjens, 42; Sergeant Nicole Amor, 39; and Sergeant Declan Coady, 20.

Powerful weapons attacked the tactical operations center: Pete Hegseth

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a briefing Monday, said a “powerful weapon” had hit what he described as a fortified tactical operations center.

However, three US defense officials familiar with the incident told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that the staff were killed in what appeared to be a drone strike while working in a temporary office. They expressed concern about whether the structure had enough protection, noting that a trailer was being used as a work space, protected by 12-foot steel-reinforced concrete barriers.

The United States maintains a long-standing security partnership with Kuwait and has more than 13,000 troops stationed in the Gulf state.

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In retaliation for attacks on its territory, Iran has fired missiles at several US-aligned Gulf nations, including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar.

In a separate development in Kuwait, the U.S. military said three fighter jets were lost Monday in what it called a “friendly fire” incident. A video circulating on the Internet showed the plane descending in a spiral. All pilots ejected safely and survived.

Meanwhile, Iranian state media claimed that its forces had shot down the planes, but provided no evidence to support the claim.

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