3 American F-15 fighter jets were 'mistakenly' shot down by friendly fire during combat operations against Iran, US saysNEWS | 02 March 2026An F-15 Strike Eagle, similar to the one pictured, was downed over Kuwait early on Monday local time.
An F-15 Strike Eagle, similar to the one pictured, was downed over Kuwait early on Monday local time. Jason Wells/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
An F-15 Strike Eagle, similar to the one pictured, was downed over Kuwait early on Monday local time. Jason Wells/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The US said three of its military aircraft went down over Kuwait, marking the Pentagon's first known air assets downed during the US and Israel's latest war with Iran.
US Central Command said on Monday morning that at 11:01 p.m. ET on Sunday, "three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident."
"During active combat — that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses," it said.
It said all six of the aircrew ejected safely and were safely recovered, and are now in stable condition.
It said the cause of the incident is under investigation and more information would be released when it becomes available.
"Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation," it said.
The announcement came after the Kuwaiti Army said that "several US military aircraft crashed this morning," and that all crew members involved were safe and in stable condition. It did not give a reason for the crashes.
Recent social media footage showed a fighter aircraft resembling an F-15E Strike Eagle falling to the ground in a tailspin. A separate clip appeared to show two parachutes descending.
Business Insider could not independently verify when the footage was shot, but it corresponds visually to a location in Al Jahra, on the western outskirts of Kuwait City.
That puts the crash site roughly six miles east of the Ali Al Salem US Air Base, which has been actively fending off hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks this weekend.
Videos also showed two uniformed personnel on the ground, appearing to cautiously interact with civilians. Another clip appears to show a man wearing a flight helmet sitting in the trunk of a non-military hatchback.
The US has detailed multiple friendly fire incidents in recent years, including a US Navy warship firing missiles at two American F/A-18 fighter jets over the Red Sea in 2024. The crew safely ejected, and an investigation found that the ship's crew mistook the jets for anti-ship cruise missiles fired by Houthi rebels.
The McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle is a twin-seat aircraft intended to be flown by a pilot and a weapons systems officer.
The US Air Force fields over 400 F-15 Eagles, battle-proven multirole strike fighters that have been deployed in combat since the Gulf War.
US Central Command on Sunday listed many of the assets that it brought to the fight, including B-2 Stealth Bombers, F-18, F-16, and F-22 fighter jets, A-10 attack jets, and F-35 stealth fighters, along with "special capabilities we can't list." It did not list any variants of the F-15.
Meanwhile, the US military said on Sunday that three American service members were killed and another five were seriously wounded amid the Pentagon's combat operations against Iran.
"And sadly, there will likely be more," President Donald Trump said in a statement that day. "Before it ends. That's the way it is."
The US and Israel launched a barrage of strikes against Iran on Saturday, killing the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and hitting over 2,000 targets.Author: Sinéad Baker. Matthew Loh. Source
