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Iranian intelligence may have been able to identify and track U.S. troop movements shortly before a retaliatory drone strike that killed six American service members in Kuwait, according to a report by CBS News on Thursday.
The report said U.S. forces had moved off military installations as part of a Pentagon force protection plan in the days leading up to the strike.
The troops were relocated in anticipation of the preemptive U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, according to a U.S. Army Central memo that CBS News said it reviewed.
CBS News reported that while it did not obtain the memo itself, it reviewed the document and independently verified the authenticity of its contents.
The report said that a day after the six American service members were killed on March 1, U.S. forces recovered GPS transponders connected to balloons or parachutes near Patriot missile defense systems.
However, it remains unclear what the transponders were used for or whether they were linked to the drones launched by Iran.
The U.S. State Department also announced Thursday that operations at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait City have been suspended amid ongoing strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks across the Gulf.
In a statement, the department said there were no reported injuries to U.S. personnel but emphasized that the safety of Americans abroad remains its top priority.
The State Department said the travel advisory for Kuwait remains at Level 3: Reconsider Travel. U.S. citizens were urged to review updated guidance and advised to depart the country if they could do so safely using commercial or other available transportation.
Those unable to leave were advised to shelter in place.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, expressing condolences for Kuwaiti soldiers killed in recent attacks and thanking Kuwait for its response to threats from Iran, according to a State Department statement.
Tensions in the Middle East have surged since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran starting Feb. 28.
The attacks have reportedly killed more than 900 people, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and at least 165 schoolgirls.
Iran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting U.S.-linked sites in Gulf countries.
Over the weekend, a drone strike in Kuwait killed six U.S. service members at a tactical operations center.
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