Six American soldiers were killed in an Iranian missile strike on a US military facility in Kuwait on Sunday, the United States confirmed.
Initial reports from U.S. Central Command indicated three deaths, but officials updated the toll on Monday after one soldier succumbed to injuries and two more bodies were recovered from the rubble.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the attack hit a U.S. bunker in Kuwait after a missile launched during Iran’s retaliatory campaign evaded air defences.
The fatalities mark the first confirmed U.S. deaths since the launch of a new war against Iran, in coordination with Israeli military operations. Israel continued its air campaign against Iranian-backed Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, while Iran struck Gulf states hosting U.S. bases, disrupting global energy shipments and hundreds of flight routes. Explosions rocked Tehran and Beirut on Tuesday, prompting global financial markets to tumble amid fears of prolonged instability in energy supplies.
A source familiar with Israel’s war plan told Reuters that the campaign, initially expected to last two weeks, has advanced faster than anticipated. “The aim is to overthrow Iran’s clerical leadership,” the source said, noting early successes in targeting Iranian leaders and military defences. Israel has reportedly accelerated operations out of concern that the United States could broker a premature ceasefire with Iran’s remaining leadership.
In Iran, Israeli strikes targeted the Tehran headquarters of the state broadcaster IRIB, prompting mass civilian evacuations along highways. Iran has denounced the attacks as unprovoked, responding with missiles and drones targeting neighbouring Arab states and disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil and gas.
The conflict has spread to Lebanon, where Hezbollah fired on Israeli positions, triggering Israeli air strikes and ground reinforcements in southern regions. Thick smoke blanketed Beirut as authorities reported dozens of casualties.
In response to the escalating violence, the U.S. ordered non-essential government personnel and families to leave the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and Jordan. Diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, previously hit by Iranian drones, have been shut.
Iranian authorities reported at least 787 deaths from the attacks, with state media showing mourning crowds in the southern city of Minab following a strike on a girls’ school that killed scores of pupils. While some Iranians have celebrated the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, the ongoing bombing campaign has spread widespread fear across the country.
The six U.S. military fatalities in Kuwait stand as a stark indicator of the intensifying regional conflict, which shows no immediate signs of de-escalation.
