Three U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down during active combat by Kuwait’s air defenses in a friendly fire incident, the U.S. military said Monday. He said the three US F-15E fighter jets were flying in support of ongoing military operations in Iran.
Previously, videos on social media had shown US fighter jets falling out of control and crashing to the ground in a fireball.
The confrontation with Iran has expanded into a regional conflict in which several Gulf countries host US military facilities that are the target of retaliatory attacks.
Following coordinated US-Israeli airstrikes against Iran on Saturday that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several political and military officials, the Islamic Republic launched waves of drone and missile attacks against Washington’s allies in the region.
US plane shot down by friendly fire
On Monday, the Kuwaiti government announced that several US military planes crashed in the country.
Shortly after the announcement, the US Central Command (Centcom) issued a press release saying that three US F-15E fighter jets flying in support of Iran’s operations were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses due to an apparent friendly fire incident.
What US Centcom said
Emphasizing that the cause of the incident is under investigation, US Centcom issued the following statement: “At 11:03 pm ET on March 1, three US F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident.
During active combat (which included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones), US Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses.
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All six crew members were safely ejected, have been safely recovered and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident and we appreciate the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.
The cause of the incident is under investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.”
US announces casualties in operations against Iran
The United States said four service members were killed and four others were seriously wounded in an attack at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait on Sunday.
“Several others suffered minor shrapnel injuries and concussions, and are in the process of being returned to duty. Major combat operations continue and our response effort continues,” Centcom said in an X post.
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Kuwait hit by Iranian retaliatory fire
Earlier today, missiles fired by Iran and Iranian-backed militias apparently hit the US embassy complex in Kuwait, according to reports. A total of three locations were attacked on Saturday and Sunday in the country that served as a corridor for the US offensive during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Several structures, including satellite communications equipment, were damaged or destroyed.
A commercial flight terminal at Kuwait International Airport was attacked on Saturday. The airport complex is home to the Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base, the largest US air logistics facility in the region.
During the same period, several civilian and military installations in Bahrain, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates were also hit. However, the United States has reported no casualties at the other five known locations.
A man walks away after watching a column of black smoke rise from a warehouse in the industrial area of the city of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, following reports of Iranian attacks in Dubai. (AP Photo)
All commercial flight operations in the Gulf have been suspended as a result of the conflict. A total of 6,000 flights canceled on Monday.
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How many US bases are there in Kuwait?
Kuwait, located at the edge of the Persian Gulf and bordering Saudi Arabia and Iraq, played a key role during the US invasion.
Kuwait hosts several key US military installations, including Camp Arifjan, the US Army Central Advanced Headquarters (ARCENT) under Centcom, according to a July 2024 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report.
According to the 2024 CRS report, the country is home to five US bases:
- Ali Al Salem Air Base
- Camp Buehring (established 2003)
- Al Jaber Air Base
- Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base (in the Kuwait International Airport complex)
- Camp Arifjan (four US personnel were killed here on Sunday)
US military bases in Kuwait.
Ali al-Salem Air Base is described in the CRS report as “the primary airlift hub and gateway for delivering combat power to joint and coalition forces in US Central Command (AOR).” It is also home to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing.
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The United States Air Force (USAF) capabilities in Kuwait include unmanned surveillance aircraft (including MQ-9 drones) as well as combat airlift capabilities, according to the report.
Camp Buehring, established during the 2003 Iraq War, serves as a staging point for U.S. Army units deploying to Iraq and Syria, the U.S. Army website says.
In total, the United States Department of War (formerly the Department of Defense) manages or operates eight persistent bases and 11 other military sites in the Middle East through Centcom. Washington has also deployed the Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, dozens of warships and military aircraft, including F-35 multirole stealth fighters.
555 people killed in Iran so far
The attacks on Iran occurred a day after negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities collapsed in Geneva. US President Donald Trump in an interview with Fox News said that “48 leaders have disappeared in one fell swoop” during Saturday’s attacks.
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So far, 555 people have been killed in Iran, according to the Iranian Red Crescent. The death toll from Saturday’s attack on a primary school in Minab, southern Iran, has risen to at least 175, according to Iranian state media.
At least a dozen more deaths were reported across the Middle East.
On Saturday, nine people were killed and 27 wounded in an Iranian retaliatory attack on the city of Beit Shemesh in central Israel.
Iran’s arsenal houses a wide range of ballistic missiles (with ranges of up to 2,000 km) and the Shahed drones, a series of inexpensive ‘suicide drones’ with similar range. This puts most US bases in the region within striking distance. The Shahed-131 and the larger Shahed-136 were tested in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
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The Islamic Republic also has regional representatives such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, collectively referred to as the “Axis of Resistance”.
