6 US troops killed in Kuwait drone strike; Tehran claims higher casualties

Washington/Tehran/New Delhi: The United States has confirmed that six American service members were killed in an Iranian drone strike during the ongoing U.S.–Israel military campaign against Iran, marking the first officially acknowledged U.S. combat fatalities since the conflict began late last month.

According to statements from the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the soldiers were killed on March 1 when an Iranian drone struck a U.S. command and logistics facility at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait. 

The attack came shortly after the launch of the joint U.S.–Israeli campaign against Iranian military infrastructure, widely referred to as Operation Epic Fury, which began around February 28 with coordinated airstrikes targeting Iran’s missile program, military facilities and command structures.

The Pentagon has identified the six service members killed in the attack as Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of Minnesota; Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of Iowa, who was posthumously promoted from Specialist; Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, also of Iowa; and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of California. 

Most of the personnel were part of Army Reserve logistics units supporting regional military operations.

Military officials said the strike hit a tactical operations center operating within the port complex, which had been functioning as a logistics coordination hub for U.S. forces in the Gulf. The drone reportedly penetrated regional air defence systems before striking the facility directly.

In addition to the fatalities, U.S. Central Command said around 18 American service members were seriously wounded in the same attack and received treatment at military medical facilities in the region. U.S. officials have not reported any additional confirmed American deaths in the days since the Kuwait strike.

The remains of the fallen service members were returned to the United States this week. A dignified transfer ceremony was held at Dover Air Force Base, attended by President Donald Trump, the First Lady, senior military officials and family members of the deceased.

The incident occurred amid a rapidly escalating regional conflict between Iran and the U.S.–Israel alliance. Since the launch of the initial air campaign, the United States and Israel have conducted a series of strikes against Iranian military targets, including missile launch sites, air defence systems, command centres and energy-related infrastructure.

Iran has responded with waves of drone and missile attacks aimed at U.S. and allied facilities across the Middle East. 

Regional installations hosting American forces in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates have been placed on heightened alert, with several attempted strikes reported in recent days.

While Washington maintains that six American troops have been killed and about 18 wounded in the conflict so far, Iranian officials and state-linked media have presented significantly higher casualty figures. 

Statements attributed to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claim Iranian retaliatory strikes have inflicted more than 200 U.S. casualties across the region.

Iranian sources say their operations targeted numerous American facilities, including installations linked to the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. Tehran has described the strikes as part of a large-scale retaliation campaign following the U.S.–Israeli attacks on Iranian territory.

U.S. officials have rejected the Iranian figures, describing them as exaggerated and part of wartime information campaigns. 

According to the Pentagon and CENTCOM, the only confirmed American combat deaths remain the six soldiers killed in the Kuwait drone strike, along with the wounded personnel from the same incident.

Some claims circulating online, including reports of multiple destroyed U.S. bases or massive equipment losses, have also not been independently verified by international media or military sources.

The conflict has now entered its second week, with continued airstrikes and retaliatory attacks reported across the region. The White House has indicated that the campaign could last between four and six weeks as the United States and Israel continue operations aimed at degrading Iran’s military capabilities.