US-made Kuwaiti jet mistakenly shot down three US F-15s, probe finds: WSJ

A Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet aircraft is suspected of accidentally shooting down three US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets on Sunday during joint operations with Israel against Iran, according to a preliminary investigation cited by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The incident occurred on the third day of escalating hostilities, as Iran retaliated with a barrage of missiles and drones targeting Kuwait and other Gulf nations hosting US military bases.

A US official told WSJ that the pilot of the Kuwaiti Hornet “mistakenly launched three missiles towards the three US jets, which went down over Kuwait.” All six crew members ejected safely and were recovered without incident, and are reported to be in stable condition.

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Viral videos circulating on social media showed one of the F-15 jets spinning and spiraling downwards, with smoke billowing from its tail.

Initially, US Central Command described the incident as an “apparent friendly-fire incident.” In a statement, CENTCOM said, “Three US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets supporting Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait in what officials described as an ‘apparent friendly-fire incident.’ According to preliminary information, the aircraft were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses during active combat.”

The statement added that the incident took place under “conditions that included incoming Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones.” Kuwaiti authorities coordinated directly with US forces to assess the situation and undertake joint technical measures.

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Kuwait has acknowledged the episode, with US officials expressing gratitude for the assistance provided by Kuwaiti defense forces during the recovery of the crews.

However, the exact circumstances of the downing remain unclear. Earlier, the Iranian state media previously claimed responsibility for shooting down a US aircraft over Kuwait. The Islamic Republic News Agency cited local sources and circulated a video it said showed a US F-15 going down on Monday morning. The claim has not been independently verified.

The developments come amid a widening regional conflict triggered by the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli strikes over the weekend.