Jeremy Scahill says the true number of U.S. personnel injured in Kuwait is significantly higher

Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill says U.S. personnel injuries in Iranian attacks in Kuwait are underreported, according to witnesses his team at DropSiteNews has spoken with. Scahill says CENTCOM (U.S. Central Command) had not responded to requests for comment.

In a March 2, 2026, X post, Scahill wrote,

Over the past ~24 hours, we have heard via witnesses that the number of U.S. personnel injured in Iranian attacks in Kuwait is much higher than has been acknowledged. CENTCOM has not responded to our requests for comment.”

Scahill, an American investigative journalist, author, and co-founder of The Intercept and Drop Site News, is known for his reporting on U.S. national security, military operations, and intelligence policy.

Scahill has also called for “further scrutiny” regarding the military’s claim that three fighter jets were lost to friendly fire rather than Iranian interceptions

The U.S.-Israeli offensive

After a coordinated military offensive by the United States and Israel against Iran, including strikes that reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Iran launched a series of retaliatory missile and drone strikes on Kuwaiti territory, as well as on other Gulf states hosting U.S. and allied forces.

Kuwaiti air defenses intercepted waves of Iranian drones and ballistic missiles near urban areas such as Rumaithiya and Salwa, and strikes also hit strategic sites like Kuwait International Airport and the Ali al-Salem Air Base.

These offensives caused temporary airspace closures and emergency responses as regional tensions rose. Iranian launches caused at least one reported civilian death in Kuwait and dozens of injuries, and Kuwait condemned the strikes as violations of its sovereignty and international law.

U.S. casualties and injured: Official statement

The conflict further intensified when a direct Iranian attack on a U.S. military facility at Shuaiba port in southern Kuwait resulted in the deaths of six U.S. service members, marking the first American casualties in the broader Iran-U.S.-Israel confrontation and underscoring Kuwait’s inadvertent entanglement due to its role as a logistics hub. Reports say 18 service members were seriously wounded.

In a statement on X, CENTCOM wrote,

As of 4 pm ET, March 2, six U.S. service members have been killed in action. U.S. forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran’s initial attacks in the region. Major combat operations continue. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification.”

Comments expressed skepticism on the 6 service members tally, with several responding, “What is the real number?”

Another noted, “So things are so bad, we don’t really know the count until we dig the bodies out of the rubble? That’s encouraging…” On Scahill’s post stating the number is higher, citing witnesses, the comments included, “600 is the number I’ve seen floating around,” without citing sources.

Another added, “6 killed and major operations are still ‘continuing.’ How long is this expected to last? We were told this would be a short operation but it’s spreading to every country in the Gulf. What is the end goal here?”