Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth acknowledged on 2/3 that an Iranian missile penetrated US air defense and struck a "fortified operations center" in Kuwait. US Central Command (CENTCOM), the agency responsible for US military operations in the Middle East, stated that six soldiers were killed in the incident.

CNN today quoted a source familiar with the situation, saying the Iranian missile hit the center of the mobile building used as an office area at 9h on 1/3. "The attack occurred suddenly, without warning or alarms, leaving soldiers no time to evacuate or reach bunkers," the source said.

The building smoldered for hours after the strike. The operations center was consumed by fire, its walls blown outward by the blast. Commercial satellite images taken at the time showed the building at the port engulfed in flames, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky.

CENTCOM initially reported three US service members killed but did not specify the attack location.

According to the source, dozens of people were present at the scene. Some service members could not be identified during initial searches and were later confirmed dead. Efforts to recover bodies were also time-consuming due to the ongoing fire.

The US military has not yet released the identities of the deceased service members.

The US field operations center in Shuaiba before and after the attack. *Photo: Planet Labs PBC*.

These are the first fatalities since the US launched "Operation Terrifying Fury" targeting Iran on 28/2. Secretary Hegseth and President Donald Trump both warned that the US could see more casualties. A CENTCOM spokesperson stated that as of 2/3, at least 18 US soldiers had sustained severe injuries.

By Huyen Le (According to CNN, NBC News)