The United States military on Tuesday identified four of the first American soldiers killed in the war against Iran.
They died on Sunday when a drone struck a US military facility in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait.
The Pentagon said the four soldiers, aged 20 to 42, served in the 103rd Sustainment Command from Des Moines, Iowa, part of the army’s global logistics and supply operations.
Major General Todd Erskine, who leads the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, extended “my deepest sympathy and my respect” to relatives and unit members of the soldiers.
These deaths are among six US military fatalities so far in the intensifying conflict. President Donald Trump and other senior officials have warned that the fighting with Iran will likely result in more American casualties as Tehran retaliates against US and Israeli strikes.
According to the US Central Command, Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones in retaliatory attacks throughout the Middle East.
The risks to US forces were highlighted during a closed-door briefing to lawmakers on Tuesday by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“They told us in that room that there are going to be more Americans that are gonna die — that they are not … going to be able to stop these drones,” said Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat.
The facility in Kuwait where the four soldiers died was protected by concrete blast walls but lacked a fortified roof, two officials told Reuters.
It was unclear whether air defenses were in place, and apparently no alarm sounded as the drone approached, one official said on condition of anonymity.
