The U.S. military said Monday that Kuwaiti air defenses “mistakenly shot down” three American fighter jets during active combat operations as Iranian forces launched attacks on the country.
According to United States Central Command, the incident occurred amid coordinated Iranian assaults involving aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones.
“During active combat … the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” Central Command said in a statement.
All Aircrew Safely Recovered
All six U.S. service members aboard the three F-15E Strike Eagles safely ejected and were recovered, officials said. They are reported. to be in stable condition.
Kuwait acknowledged the incident, and U.S. officials expressed appreciation for Kuwaiti defense forces’ assistance in the recovery effort.
Iranian Attacks Underway
The confrontation marked the first reported engagement of Iran’s aging combat aircraft fleet in the broader conflict. Iranian state television claimed that Iran had targeted one of the U.S. planes that crashed in Kuwait, though no additional details were provided.
Witnesses described seeing one aircraft fall from the sky in flames as explosions echoed nearby. A local resident told reporters he initially believed the descending pilot was Iranian before realizing he was American as emergency responders arrived.
Investigation Ongoing
The cause of the mistaken shootdown remains under investigation.
The situation continues to develop as tensions escalate between Iran and U.S.-allied forces in the region.