Kuwaiti air defenses mistakenly shot down three American F-15 fighter jets during active combat on Monday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced, calling the incident an apparent case of "friendly fire" in the context of the conflict with Iran.
According to CENTCOM, all six crew members ejected safely, recovered, and are in stable condition.
“During active combat – which included attacks by Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones – the US Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” the statement said. Kuwaiti authorities have acknowledged the incident and an investigation into the causes is underway.
Video footage verified by Reuters shows a US military plane falling in flames over the Al Jahra area, while a person is seen parachuting down.
This is the first downing of American aircraft since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran on Saturday and underlines the rapid escalation of the conflict in the Gulf region.
Smoke near the American embassy
In a separate incident, witnesses reported smoke near the US embassy compound in Kuwait City, where fire engines and ambulances were seen. There was no immediate comment from the US embassy or the US State Department regarding the incident.
Kuwait said it had intercepted hostile drones earlier in the day, on the third consecutive day of Iranian retaliatory attacks on Gulf states in response to US and Israeli strikes against the Islamic Republic.
Iranian state media, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported earlier that Iranian armed forces had shot down a US aircraft that subsequently crashed in Kuwait.
Meanwhile, a Reuters/Ipsos poll released over the weekend showed that only one in four Americans supports U.S. strikes on Iran, with concerns growing about the safety of American troops. President Donald Trump warned on Sunday of the possibility of more American casualties as military operations continue.
