The U.S. military said Monday that three F-15 fighter jets were accidentally shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait, hours after footage of a crashing aircraft circulated online and sparked claims the jet had been downed by Iran.
The announcement followed videos shared on social media showing an F-15 spiraling toward the ground roughly 10 kilometers from Ali al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait. In the footage, pilots are seen ejecting before impact.
Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said all crew members survived. Authorities launched search and rescue operations, evacuated the aircrews and transferred them in stable condition to hospital for medical evaluation. The ministry said it is coordinating directly with US forces regarding the circumstances of the incident.
Earlier Monday, reports and online footage indicated that at least one US F-15 had crashed in Kuwait. Initial claims, including from pro-Iranian outlets, suggested the aircraft had been shot down by Iranian air defenses. Other unconfirmed reports pointed to the possibility of friendly fire.
In its updated statement, the US military confirmed that three F-15 aircraft were mistakenly hit by friendly fire during operations over Kuwait.
Pro-Iranian channels and outlets affiliated with the Iranian regime celebrated the incident. The Sabereen network, linked to pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, wrote that “the pride of American industry has turned into ridicule,” claiming two US soldiers had parachuted after their jet crashed in western Kuwait.
An Iranian-affiliated channel claimed an F-15 “attempting to infiltrate” had been shot down by Iran’s air defense system, a claim not supported by the US statement.
At the same time, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya emergency command claimed that three US naval facilities in Kuwait had been destroyed and that Ali al-Salem Air Base had been put out of service. No independent confirmation of those claims was provided.
The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait urged American citizens to avoid its compound amid missile and drone launches from Iranian territory. Since the outbreak of fighting, Iran has targeted US bases in Gulf states as well as in Jordan and Iraq.
On Sunday, Kuwait said its air defense systems had “effectively dealt with several hostile aerial targets” following reports of an attack on Ali al-Salem Air Base.
Earlier coverage had reported that a U.S. F-15 crashed in Kuwait as Iran claimed it had shot down the aircraft amid escalating regional fighting. Videos appeared to show at least one pilot ejecting safely. The latest US confirmation indicates the aircraft were lost due to friendly fire rather than enemy action.