In response to the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint strike by Israel and the United States (US) that ultimately started the conflict in the Middle East, Iran started targeting all American bases in the region. This included the Port of Shuaiba in Kuwait, which was attacked on March 1, leading to six US Army Reserve members getting killed and wounding 20 others. This was the first US casualties of the conflict.
The attack was carried out using an Iranian "squirter" drone, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth had said, while claiming that it was able to bypass the air defence systems at the well "fortified" base. But the survivors of the attack, in their first public appearance, have disputed Pentagon's description of events and said their unit, the 103rd Sustainment Command, was "unprepared".
Speaking to CBS News, an injured soldier said the unit was "unprepared" to provide defence to itself, while also highlighting that the base was not a "fortified" position. "Painting a picture that 'one squeaked through' is a falsehood," the soldier said on the condition of anonymity.
'Everything shook'
The unit, the US soldiers claimed, was moved closer to the range of Iranian missiles and drones. They said the unit had taken cover after missile warnings in the morning, but an "all-clear signal was sounded" before the strike. Thirty minutes later, the drone strike happened and "everything shook", a soldier told CBS News.
"And it's something like what you see in the movies. Your ears are ringing. Everything's fuzzy. Your vision is blurry. You're dizzy. There's dust and smoke everywhere," the soldier said. "Head wounds, heavy bleeding, lots of perforated eardrums, and then just shrapnel all over, so folks are bleeding from their abdomen, bleeding from arms, bleeding from legs."
'A known target'
The US soldiers were instructed to relocate to Jordan and Saudi Arabia a week before the beginning of Operation Epic Fury. They were advised to stay away from the range of Iranian drones and missiles, but many soldiers of 103rd Sustainment Command were directed to move to the smaller Port of Shuaiba military outpost.
The soldiers described it as "a classic, older military base", with small barriers and "little tin buildings" for makeshift offices. They said the base was a "known target" and they were shielded by little more than a thin line of upright blast barricades.
"We moved closer to Iran, to a deeply unsafe area that was a known target," a soldier told CBS News. "I don't think there was a good reason ever articulated."
"I mean, I would put it in the none category. From a drone defense capability ... none," the soldier added.
The soldiers' description of the attack is contrary to what the Pentagon said, which also claimed that the troops were provided immediate relief. However, soldiers denied that and said they themselves administered first aid to the wounded. Earlier, a US media report had also made similar claims wondering if air defence systems were installed at the base. Till now, no US military or Pentagon official has commented on the soldiers' claim.
