The United States military has confirmed that three of its fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire during an Iranian air assualt.
All six crew members safely ejected from the F-15E Strike Eagles and were in stable condition after being recovered, the U.S. said.
The incident is the first downing of U.S. aircraft since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began on Saturday and underscores how rapidly the conflict is widening across the Gulf.
The jets were flying in support of Operation Epic Fury and crashed in Kuwait amid attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones that the U.S. and its regional allies have been racing to intercept.
U.S Central Command said the Kuwaitis acknowledged this incident and that it was grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in the ongoing operation.
Kuwait’s defense ministry said earlier on social media that several U.S. warplanes had crashed in Kuwait. A ministry spokesperson said authorities launched search and rescue operations and evacuated the crews to hospitals, adding that they were in stable condition.
The jets were downed on the third day of the Iran war, a joint U.S.-Israeli military operation that Israel has dubbed Roaring Lion and the U.S. is calling Operation Epic Fury. Iran has retaliated with missile attacks directed at Israel and Arab neighbors in response.
U.S. Central Command said yesterday that three American service members have been killed and five others were seriously wounded.
The Iranian Red Crescent says 555 people have been killed in Iran. President Trump said Sunday the joint military operation will continue “until all of our objectives are achieved,” which could be up to four weeks.