Kuwait’s air defenses mistakenly shot down three U.S. F-15 fighter jets late Sunday, U.S. Central Command said.
Centcom said the aircraft were shot down in Kuwait shortly after 11 p.m. EST.
The command said the jets “were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses.”
All six American service members aboard the aircraft ejected safely and are “in stable condition,” Centcom added.
Kuwait has acknowledged this incident and its military confirmed that “several U.S. military aircraft crashed.”
A military spokesperson said relevant authorities immediately initiated search and rescue procedures, whereby the crews were evacuated and transferred to the hospital for checks and care.
The spokesperson said direct coordination was conducted with the friendly U.S. forces regarding the circumstances of the incident, and joint technical measures were taken.
The spokesperson said authorities are following up on the investigations to determine the causes of the incident.
Pilots were forced to eject as three U.S. F-15 jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses.
All six aircrew members safely ejected and are reported to be in stable condition.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 2, 2026
The friendly-fire mishap unfolded less than a day after U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes against Iran early Saturday, escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Iran quickly fired back, targeting Israel and several Gulf states, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The joint U.S.-Israeli operation also killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Trump announced on Saturday.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS,” he added.
By Sunday, Iranian state television Press TV reported that an interim leadership council was in place, listing figures including President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The downing of the U.S. jets marks a dramatic and dangerous twist in an already volatile standoff, with investigations now underway on both sides to determine how allied air defenses ended up targeting American warplanes.
