Footage sheds light on Iranian attacks that drove US troops from Kuwait base - report

A CBS News investigation reveals that US troops remaining at Kuwait's Camp Buehring after a prewar evacuation eventually abandoned the base amid repeated Iranian attacks and ammunition shortages. Soldiers moved to remote desert positions at night, facing ballistic missiles, drones, and Iranian F-5 aircraft. No soldiers were killed by enemy fire, though several were injured. The report adds detail to earlier reporting about the vulnerability of US installations during the war, including a Pentagon inspector general assessment that documented $3.7 billion in equipment losses across the region. CENTCOM declined to comment, and the Pentagon referred to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's March 4 statement that over 90% of Americans had been moved beyond Iranian fire range. The soldiers' accounts are anonymous, and no named commanders or Kuwaiti officials are quoted. The $3.7 billion equipment loss figure is stated without breakdown by base or type of equipment. The article does not address whether the withdrawal from Camp Buehring affected broader military operations in the region.

A CBS News investigation, drawing on newly obtained footage and firsthand accounts, reveals that US soldiers who remained at Kuwait's Camp Buehring after a prewar evacuation were ultimately forced to abandon the base amid repeated Iranian attacks and critical ammunition shortages. Most of the approximately 7,000 troops stationed there had been moved before fighting began, but more than 100 stayed behind. Service members described dwindling .50-caliber ammunition and fears of managing an attack causing large numbers of casualties. The remaining troops departed at night for remote desert positions, taking equipment with them. The attacks involved ballistic missiles, drones, and what three service members identified as Iranian F-5 aircraft. CENTCOM declined to comment, and the Pentagon referred to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's March 4 statement that over 90% of Americans had been moved beyond Iranian fire range. No soldiers were killed by enemy fire, though several were injured. The report adds detail to earlier reporting about the vulnerability of US installations during the war, including a Pentagon inspector general assessment that documented $3.7 billion in equipment losses across the region.