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Three US fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait, US Central Command has confirmed.
This marks the first US aircraft to be lost in the emerging war in Iran which began Saturday in a joint US–Israeli strike on the city of Tehran.
The F-15 fighter jets were shot down by Kuwaiti air defences, with the US Central Command confirming in a statement that this was “friendly fire” and not the actions of an enemy.
“During active combat – that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones – the US Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences,” the statement read.
Six crew members who were aboard the fighter jets are all confirmed to be in a stable condition.
Video footage shows aircraft plummeting out of the sky and crew parachuting their way to land.
Additional clips circulating online show one of the American pilots being “rescued” and “taken care of” by local Kuwaitis.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, addressed media in a briefing at the Pentagon, saying: “I am aware of the loss of three US air force F-15Es overnight in the region.
“I am grateful for the safety of the crews, and we know that this was not from hostile enemy fire.
“As this matter is under investigation, I’ll not comment further on this.”
Reuters reported that according to Iran’s state media, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps allegedly hit an American plane that crashed into Kuwait.
US officials have not confirmed or commented on this.
As of Tuesday, 3 March (AEDT), the US death toll has risen to six, with officials expecting this number to continue to rise.
