2026 Port Shuaiba drone attack
| Port Shuaiba drone attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of the 2026 Iran war | |
Copses of the American soldiers killed in the strike being transported to the United States on March 7 | |
| Type | One-way drone strike |
| Location | Shuaiba Port, Kuwait 28°52′40″N 48°09′28″E / 28.87778°N 48.15778°E |
| Target | |
| Date | March 1, 2026 c. 9:00 a.m. (UTC+3) |
| Executed by | Iran |
| Outcome | Iranian victory |
| Casualties | 6 killed 30+ injured |
Camp Arifjan Location of Camp Arifjan, near where the strike took place | |
On 1 March 2026, a United States military installation near Camp Arifjan in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, was struck by an Iranian drone.
Background
Port Shuaiba is a civilian port in Kuwait positioned along the Persian Gulf and south of Kuwait City.[1][2] It has been described as a "critical logistics hub" for the presence of the United States Armed Forces in the Middle East.[3]
The US military installation targeted in the attack was built in Port Shuaiba years prior and was repurposed for the 2026 Iran war to serve as a backup tactical operations.[4] Its occupants were part of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, involved in logistics support for US forces across the region,[3][2] and were relocated from the larger Camp Arifjan as part of a dispersal strategy to minimize chances of American casualties from retaliatory Iranian attacks.[4]
The site itself was described as a standard triple-wide trailer with an office interior surrounded by reinforced concrete T-Walls.[5] An image from 2021 shows the structure had a "thin metal rooftop". Military officials told The Washington Post there was no additional protection for the trailer.[2]
Attack
I remember turning my head to the left and I'd seen the nose of that drone pop through, and as soon as it did I knew what it was, it was either a missile or a drone, So I turned to my right, and that's when it blew up and just blew the whole building apart.
At around 9:00 a.m. local time on March 1, the day after the start of the war, the tactical operations center at Shuaiba was directly struck by an Iranian drone.[7] Sergeant First Class Cory Hicks of the 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command recalled site personnel being stationed in a bunker as projectiles were being intercepted overhead before the situation was declared all clear and they returned to their posts, whereupon the drone hit them.[6]
There was no prior warning to the attack as counter-battery devices did not detect a threat and activate a warning siren.[3] Personnel at the installation recall the warning system working correctly in tests a week prior to the attack, although in some cases the siren had sounded once the drone had already entered in the base.[5]
The device was identified as a one-way attack drone in a damage assessment, possibly a Shahed-136, which had managed to evade air defense systems and strike the compound.[5][1] It destroyed the main building at the site and blew out its walls.[1][7] It also started an hours-long fire which sent plumes of smoke into the air.[7] Survivors attested to a chaotic as smoke filled the targeted structure.[6][8]
Casualties
Six soldiers from the US Army Reserve were killed in the attack. All of them were assigned to the 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa, and were serving abroad with the 1st Theater Sustainment Command.[9] They were identified as Captain Cody A. Khork (35 years old) of Winter Haven, Florida, Sergeant First Class Noah L. Tietjens (42 years old) of Bellevue, Nebraska, Sergeant First Class Nicole M. Amor (39 years old) of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, Sergeant Declan J. Coady (20 years old) of West Des Moines, lowa, Major Jeffrey O'Brien (45 years old) of Indianola, Iowa, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan (54 years old) of Sacramento, California. Coady was posthumously promoted from the rank of specialist.[10]
At first, the Department of Defense did not publicize the amount of people wounded in the attack, but later said on March 2 that five were seriously wounded while others had "minor shrapnel injuries and concussions", two of whom were found underneath rubble after initially being declared missing. On March 11, CBS News reported that more than 30 soldiers had suffered injuries in the attack, their treatment being split between Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Around 20 were designated for urgent care at the latter, suffering traumatic brain injuries, memory loss and concussions. Generally the victims had suffered effects including brain trauma, shrapnel wounds and burns, while one may require amputation.[8]
Investigation
Officials said an investigation was being conducted into the incident.[1] CBS News reported on March 5 that according to the preliminary conclusions of a US Army Central memo reviewed by the agency, Iranian intelligence and allied militant groups had likely managed to track and monitor the transfer of US military personnel to smaller military installations a week prior to the attack. The memo reported the discovery of "GPS transponders connected to balloons or parachutes" near MIM-104 Patriot systems in the area on March 2. Military officials speaking to CBS News had attested to spotting quadcopter reconnaissance flights across Port Shuaiba in the preceding week.[4]
Aftermath
After the killed soldiers were identified, Republican senator Joni Ernst from Iowa said "These soldiers engaged in the most noble mission: protecting their fellow Americans and keeping our homeland secure... Our nation owes them an incredible debt of gratitude that can never be repaid."[10]
A dignified transfer of the remains of those killed took place at Dover Air Force Base on March 7. In attendance were several top officials, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and senior cabinet officals.[10]
References
- ^ a b c d Toropin, Konstantin; Boone, Rebecca (March 4, 2026). "US soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone strike at a civilian port in Kuwait". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 9, 2026. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ^ a b c Kelly, Meg; Horton, Alex; Ley, Jarrett (March 4, 2026). "U.S. troops had little protection from drone strike that killed 6, imagery shows". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ^ a b c Seligman, Lara (March 3, 2026). "U.S. Troops Killed in Kuwait Had No Warning of Deadly Drone Attack". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
- ^ a b c LaPorta, James (March 5, 2026). "Iran appeared to surveil center where U.S. forces were killed in Kuwait, Army memo says". CBS News. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ^ a b c LaPorta, James (March 3, 2026). "Military questioned use of makeshift office space in Kuwait where U.S. troops were killed". CBS News. Archived from the original on March 9, 2026. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ^ a b c Deliso, Meredith (March 11, 2026). "Survivor of deadly Kuwait drone attack speaks out from hospital". ABC News. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
- ^ a b c Britzky, Haley (March 2, 2026). "No warning, no siren: six US service members killed in Iranian strike that hit makeshift operations center in Kuwait". CNN. Archived from the original on March 8, 2026. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ^ a b Jacobs, Jennifer; Watson, Eleanor; LaPorta, James (March 11, 2026). "Dozens of U.S. service members in Kuwait suffered serious injuries, including burns, brain trauma and shrapnel wounds, sources say". CBS News. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
- ^ Britzky, Haley (March 7, 2026). "Six US troops killed in Iran war brought home in dignified transfer". CNN. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
- ^ a b c Min Kim, Seung; Nikhinson, Julia Demaree (March 7, 2026). "Trump grieves with families during return of soldiers killed in war in the Middle East". CTV News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 8, 2026. Retrieved March 13, 2026.