Several US warplanes crash in Kuwait; Washington calls it 'friendly-fire'

Kuwait Ministry of Defence said on Monday that several American warplanes crashed but their crews survived, as tensions across West Asia continue to escalate.

A spokesperson for the Kuwait defence ministry said multiple U.S. military aircraft crashed earlier in the day, but confirmed that all crew members were safe, the army said in a post on social media platform X.

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The official said authorities promptly launched search-and-rescue operations, evacuating the personnel and taking them to hospital for medical evaluation and care, adding that their condition was stable.
U.S. Centcom in a statement said three U.S. 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 defences during active combat
conditions that included incoming Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones.
All six crew members ejected safely, were recovered without incident and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged the episode, with U.S. officials expressing gratitude for the assistance provided by Kuwaiti defence forces during the recovery.






He added that Kuwaiti authorities coordinated directly with U.S. forces to assess the circumstances and undertake joint technical measures. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the incident, and the spokesperson urged the public to rely only on official sources for information.

The statement came hours after Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency claimed a U.S. F-15 fighter jet had been shot down in Kuwait on Monday morning, citing local sources and circulating a video it said showed the aircraft going down. The claim has not been independently verified.

The developments follow a widening regional conflict triggered by the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint strikes by Israel and the United States over the weekend.

Earlier, U.S. Central Command said Iran had targeted multiple sites across the region, including airports in Dubai, Kuwait and Erbil, as well as locations in Bahrain and Qatar and residential areas in Israel.



Reports of fresh blasts added to fears of escalation. Al Jazeera reported explosions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, along with loud bangs in Doha, while Arab News said Iranian missiles and drones had also targeted Kuwait and Bahrain.

An eyewitness told Reuters that smoke was seen rising near the U.S. embassy in Kuwait.

Earlier Monday, the Kuwait Army said its air defence units intercepted hostile targets before dawn.