Six US soldiers have died after an Iranian unmanned aircraft struck a command centre in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, the US military confirmed. This marks the first American fatalities in the new US-Iran conflict.
Attack details
The strike hit a tactical operations centre on Sunday. US Central Command initially reported three deaths, but officials later confirmed the toll had risen to six after one soldier died from injuries and two more bodies were recovered from the rubble.
Four of the deceased, all Army Reserve members, were identified as:
- Capt Cody Khork, 35, Florida resident, previously deployed to Saudi Arabia, Guantanamo Bay, and Poland
- Sgt Noah Tietjens, 42, Nebraska, twice deployed to Kuwait
- Sgt Nicole Amor, 39, Minnesota, previously deployed to Kuwait and Iraq
- Sgt Declan Coady, 20, Iowa, posthumously promoted from specialist, enlisted three years ago
All three senior soldiers had been decorated for previous service.
Building vulnerability
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said a “powerful weapon” struck a fortified operations centre. Three US officials told CBS News the soldiers were working in a temporary office trailer shielded by 12ft steel-reinforced concrete barriers, raising questions about whether the space was adequately protected.
Regional tensions
The US maintains over 13,000 troops in Kuwait as part of a longstanding defence partnership. Iran has retaliated for US and Israeli attacks with missile strikes across Gulf countries including Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar.
Separately, three US fighter jets were downed in Kuwait on Monday in what the US described as “friendly fire.” Pilots ejected safely, although Iranian state media claimed responsibility without evidence.
Source: BBC
Also read: Kuwait mistakenly shoots down three U.S. fighter jets
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