Survivors say generals ignored warnings before deadly Iran drone strike

The March 1 Iranian drone strike at Port of Shuaiba killed six service members and wounded at least 18 others, with the number of injured above 20. Survivors of the attack say the U.S. unit there was left dangerously exposed, with no effective warning or defenses, even as the Army has completed its investigation into the deadliest Iranian attack on U.S. troops in the war.

The dead were Sgt. Declan J. Coady, Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, Capt. Cody Khork, Maj. Jeffrey O'Brien and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan. All six were members of the Army Reserve’s 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa.

Port of Shuaiba is a commercial harbor that also functions as a logistics hub for moving U.S. military equipment and supplies into the region. After Operation Epic Fury triggered Iranian missile and drone attacks, the site was part of a wider campaign across Iraq, Syria and the Persian Gulf region.

The Shuaiba strike came after the January 28, 2024, Tower 22 drone attack in Jordan, where three U.S. soldiers were killed and dozens more wounded. That earlier attack prompted major U.S. retaliation and additional base hardening.

Survivors challenged the Pentagon's account of the event and said the unit was exposed in ways that should have been recognized before the drone strike hit. Senate Democrats have opened an investigation into whether the Pentagon failed to protect the troops stationed in Kuwait.

With the Army’s investigation now complete, Gold Star families were set to be briefed on the findings.