‘Unprepared and Exposed’: Soldiers Challenge Hegseth’s Claims After Deadly Iranian Drone Strike

Survivors of a deadly Iranian attack on U.S. forces have finally spoken out. One individual described Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's characterization of the attack as a "falsehood." Speaking with CBS News, one soldier said that their unit was moved to a "deeply unsafe area that was a known target," because Hegseth thought the drone was a "squirter." The individual also disputed Hegseth's description of the attack, saying that there was never "a good reason ever articulated" for why their unit was put in danger.

One survivor told CBS News, "Painting a picture that 'one squeaked through' is a falsehood. I want people to know the unit … was unprepared to provide any defense for itself. It was not a fortified position."

Mirror U.S. sought comment from the administration. However, a Pentagon spokesperson reportedly declined to comment on the surviving soldiers' claims. It was reported that an investigation is ongoing.

The Iranian strike occurred on March 1 at the Kuwaiti base of U.S. forces. The attack resulted in six American casualties. According to CBS News, more than 30 soldiers were injured from burns, shrapnel wounds, and brain trauma. They had to be hospitalized immediately.

According to CBS News, the soldiers were moved to a small space that couldn't provide protection from airstrikes. Hours before the strike, about 60 soldiers took cover in a cement bunker after hearing missile alarms.

When an all-clear alert was given, they returned to the small workspace at the Port of Shuaiba off Kuwait's southern coast. The space was about the width of three trailers and was constructed with tin and wood.

CBS reported that even though the outpost was barricaded wth steel-made structures, which were used during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, it did not provide protection from airstrikes. The barricades were sufficient against mortars and rockets.

"From a bunker standpoint, that's about as weak as one gets," one soldier told the outlet. "I mean, I would put it in the none category. From a drone defense capability … none," he added.

Several dozen soldiers at the Kuwait base were asked to move there, while others were relocated to Jordan and Saudi Arabia, which were outside the missile range. One of those moved to the small outpost told CBS, "We moved closer to Iran, to a deeply unsafe area that was a known target. I don't think there was a good reason ever articulated."

One survivor of the attack described it as "something like what you see in the movies." He said, "Your ears are ringing. Everything's fuzzy. Your vision is blurry. You're dizzy. There's dust and smoke everywhere."

The aftermath was devastating. The soldier added, "Head wounds, heavy bleeding, lots of perforated eardrums, and then just shrapnel all over, so folks are bleeding from their abdomen, bleeding from arms, bleeding from legs."

Another told CBS, "One of the hardest things for me is that I know we didn't get everybody out, so I know that at this point there are still soldiers inside there that still haven't been identified and evacuated."

Following the strike, Pete Hegseth told reporters that the drone "happened to hit a tactical operations center that was fortified, but these are powerful weapons."