Democratic senators launch investigation into Kuwait strike that killed US troops

Four Democratic senators say they are investigating whether the Pentagon left U.S. troops at a command post in Kuwait without sufficient protection ahead of an Iranian drone attack that killed six American servicemembers and left more than 20 wounded. The probe comes after soldiers stationed at the base told CBS News they were left dangerously exposed at a location that was a known target for Iranian drones. Speaking publicly for the first time earlier this month, members of the targeted unit offered CBS News a detailed account of the attack, which occurred on the first day of what has extended into a monthslong conflict between the U.S. and Iran. In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth , four Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee questioned the Pentagon's preparations and whether the administration "failed to protect Americans in the region from Iranian retaliation". At a press conference 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." Some of the survivors, members of the Army's 103rd Sustainment Command, disputed Hegseth's account. "Painting a picture that 'one squeaked through' is a falsehood," one of the injured soldiers told CBS News. "I want people to know the unit … was unprepared to provide any defense for itself. …