Pentagon identifies four of the six US soldiers killed in Iran conflict

The American military has confirmed the identities of four of the six US soldiers killed in the conflict with Iran.

The US soldiers were killed when an "unmanned aircraft system" evaded air defences to hit a command centre in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on Sunday.

US Central Command initially said three soldiers died in the attack, but officials confirmed on Monday the death toll had doubled, after one person succumbed to injuries and two more bodies were found in the rubble.

All four, identified by the Pentagon, were members of the Army Reserve which, according to its website, provides logistical support to broader US military operations.

Those killed were Capt Cody Khork, 35, Sgt Noah Tietjens, 42, Sgt Nicole Amor, 39, and Sgt Declan Coady, 20, who was posthumously promoted from specialist.

"These men and women all bravely volunteered to defend our country, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten," Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said.

Capt Cody Khork had previously deployed to Saudi Arabia, Guantanamo Bay and Poland.

The Florida resident had wanted to serve since a young age, and enlisted in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programme at his university, his family told the Associated Press.

Khork was "truly the life of the party, known for his infectious spirit, generous heart, and deep care for those who served alongside him and for everyone blessed to know him," his mother, Donna Burhans, father, James Khork, and stepmother, Stacey Khork, said in a statement.

Sgt Nicole Amor, of Minnesota, previously deployed to Kuwait and Iraq.

"She was almost home," her husband, Joey Amor, told the AP. "You don't go to Kuwait thinking something's going to happen, and for her to be one of the first – it hurts."

She had a son in high school and a daughter in primary school, and enjoyed gardening and rollerblading with them.

Sgt Noah Tietjens, a Nebraska resident, had twice before deployed to Kuwait.

He was "a deeply committed husband and father," according to a GoFundMe page set up for his family.

He earned a black belt in Taekwondo and a form of martial arts known as Philippine Combatives, according to the Philippine Martial Arts Alliance, which posted a tribute to Tietjens on their Facebook page.

"He did not simply wear a Black Belt… he lived it," the Alliance wrote. "He led with integrity. He trained with purpose. He taught with humility."

All three were decorated service members.

Sgt Declan Coady was posthumously promoted from specialist, the US military said.

The Iowa resident enlisted in the Army Reserve just three years ago.

He served as an information technologies specialist and had "an incredibly bright future ahead of him," Drake University, where Coady studied, said in a statement.

His father, Andrew Coady, told the AP that his son "was very good at what he did".

"I still don't fully think it's real," said his sister Keira Coady. "I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back."

In a briefing on Monday, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said a "powerful weapon" had struck a "tactical operations centre that was fortified".

Three US military officials with direct knowledge of Iran's attack told the BBC's US partner CBS that the service members were working in a makeshift office space.

They questioned whether the building had been adequately fortified, telling CBS News a trailer was being used as an office, with 12ft (3.7m) steel-reinforced concrete barriers to shield it.

The US has a long-standing defence relationship with Kuwait, and more than 13,000 American soldiers are stationed in the Gulf nation.

Iran has responded to attacks against it by launching missiles at Gulf countries allied with the US. Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar have all also seen strikes.

Separately in Kuwait, the US confirmed three fighter jets were downed after what it described as an incident of "friendly fire" on Monday.

Iran state media claimed the Iranian military had shot down the jets, without providing evidence.