The Army reportedly has completed its investigation into the deadly Iranian attack on U.S. forces in Kuwait that killed six American service members, with Gold Star families expected to be briefed Thursday on the findings.
The March 1 drone strike on a tactical operations center at the Port of Shuaiba was the deadliest attack on U.S. troops during the Iran conflict, prompting an Army investigation into the circumstances surrounding the assault, CBS News reported.
U.S. Army Central ordered the probe to determine what happened before, during, and after the attack, which occurred as Iran launched missile and drone strikes against U.S. positions and allies in the Persian Gulf following Operation Epic Fury.
CBS News previously reported that multiple survivors described what they called "strategic failures" leading up to the strike, arguing that their unit lacked adequate defenses despite intelligence warning that the location could be targeted.
"We moved closer to Iran, to a deeply unsafe area that was a known target," one senior official told CBS News.
Another official said the tactical operations center had virtually no drone defense capability, while several soldiers alleged that commanders ignored intelligence assessments before deploying the Iowa-based 103rd Sustainment Command to the site.
One anonymous soldier told CBS News, "I feel incredibly let down by the leadership of this unit."
Another said troops knew Shuaiba was among the locations identified as potential Iranian targets before the deployment.
Maj. Stephen Ramsbottom, who survived the attack, told CBS News that Master Sgt. Nicole Amor might have survived had additional medical resources, including a physician and a fixed aid station, been available at the post.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth initially described the attack as involving a drone that "squeaked through" U.S. air defenses, calling it a "squirter."
But survivors disputed that characterization, telling CBS News that the position was insufficiently fortified and lacked adequate force protection.
The Pentagon has defended its handling of the incident.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell previously said, "Every possible measure has been taken to safeguard our troops — at every level," adding that the facility was protected by six-foot walls.
The War Department has also pushed back against suggestions officials attempted to downplay the attack.
On March 11, CBS News reported that the strike injured dozens more U.S. service members than initially disclosed.
More than 30 troops required hospitalization with injuries including traumatic brain injuries, burns, concussions, memory loss, and shrapnel wounds, with several evacuated to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical Center, and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
The Pentagon has not publicly detailed the findings of the completed investigation or said whether disciplinary action against military leaders will follow.
Gold Star families are expected to receive the Army's conclusions before any broader public release.