Four Senate Democrats have launched an investigation into a March 1 drone attack on U.S. troops stationed in Kuwait that killed six service members and wounded 20 others, raising questions about whether the Pentagon did enough to safeguard the base.
The lawmakers—Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)—are all members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. In a four-page letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, they demanded answers about the adequacy of defenses at the Shuaiba port compound, which came under Iranian drone strike during the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict.
“Secretary Hegseth sent our troops to fight in Iran, refused to take basic steps to protect them, and then tried to cover up his failures when service members died. Hegseth’s leadership has been one betrayal after another — he must be held accountable,” Warren said in a statement.
The probe follows accounts from several members of the targeted unit who spoke with CBS News, warning that the compound was not fortified against drone attacks. “Painting a picture that ‘one squeaked through’ is a falsehood,” one injured soldier told the outlet. “I want people to know the unit … was unprepared to provide any defense for itself. It was not a fortified position.”
In a press briefing the day after the attack, Hegseth described the Iranian drone as a “squirter” that “happened to hit a tactical operations center that was fortified, but these were powerful weapons.” The senators challenged that characterization, noting that while the post had steel-reinforced concrete barriers to protect against mortars or car bombs, it lacked American counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar systems capable of intercepting drones. “Iran was estimated to have thousands to tens of thousands of drones ready to use in retaliation at the time the war was started,” they wrote.
The Pentagon has not yet commented on the investigation. The Hill reached out for a response.
Senators are pressing for details on who assessed the risk to the post, what threats the Defense Department was aware of before the attack, and whether leadership believed six-foot walls were sufficient against Iranian retaliation. The Pentagon has until May 11 to respond.
“The safety and well-being of our service members should be a top priority for DoD leadership. That requires careful consideration of major operations like Epic Fury and plans to prevent possible harm from foreseeable attacks, like retaliation with drone strikes,” the senators wrote.
This investigation comes amid broader scrutiny of the administration’s handling of military operations and troop safety. The recent Pentagon seizure of Stars and Stripes has also raised concerns about the independence of news for service members. Meanwhile, the White House press secretary has linked a recent shooting at the WHCA dinner to anti-Trump rhetoric, as seen in this report. In a related development, Senator John Fetterman has urged Democrats to support Trump’s White House ballroom after the shooting, as covered here.
