An American F-15 fighter jet crashed in Kuwait on Monday morning, with the country’s Ministry of Defence later announcing that “several” U.S. aircraft had gone down. The exact number of American fighter jets involved remains unclear, with reports of multiple incidents surfacing hours after a video circulated showing an aircraft plunging from the sky.
In an official statement, a spokesperson for Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that several U.S. military aircraft had crashed earlier in the day and said that all crew members were safe. The spokesperson added that search and rescue operations were launched immediately, after which the personnel were evacuated and transported to hospital for medical assessment. Their condition was reported to be stable.
The ministry said it had coordinated directly with U.S. forces regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident and that joint technical procedures had been initiated. Authorities added that investigations are ongoing to ascertain the cause of the crashes, and urged the public to rely solely on official sources for accurate information.
According to preliminary reports, the jet captured in the Monday morning video may have been struck by friendly fire after reportedly being engaged by a Patriot air defence system. However, Kuwait’s later confirmation that more than one aircraft had crashed has cast doubt on those initial claims.
Air defence systems such as the Patriot use sophisticated radar technology and encrypted communication networks to distinguish between friendly and hostile aircraft before firing interceptor missiles. Although incidents of friendly fire are deeply concerning and often politically sensitive, they are not unheard of during high-intensity conflicts.
US JET CRASH
Earlier on Monday, a video geolocated by CNN to Kuwait showed a fighter jet engulfed in flames before spiralling downward in a tailspin. Analysis indicated that the aircraft crashed within roughly 10 kilometres of Ali Al Salem Air Base, a key U.S. military facility in Kuwait.
CNN’s assessment suggested that the twin-engine aircraft seen in the footage was consistent with either an F-15E or an F/A-18 fighter jet. However, it remains unclear which country operated the aircraft, as Kuwait’s air force also flies F/A-18 jets.
Officials from United States Central Command and Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been contacted by news agencies for comment, but no official clarification on the exact circumstances of the crash has been provided so far.
Authorities confirmed that the pilot ejected safely before the aircraft went down and is in good condition. Videos circulating on social media appear to show the jet descending rapidly before impact, along with separate footage purportedly capturing the pilot after ejecting.
The Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC) stated that debris from the crash fell within the Mina Al Ahmadi refinery complex, injuring two workers. Emergency response teams were dispatched to the site immediately after the incident.
CONFLICT SPREADS ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST
The crash was reported as Israel launched fresh air strikes on Tehran on Monday while widening its military campaign to include operations against Iran-aligned Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Israeli strikes hit Hezbollah-held southern suburbs of Beirut, where multiple explosions were heard across the Lebanese capital.
Israel said it struck sites associated with Hezbollah after the group claimed responsibility for launching missiles and drones toward Israeli territory following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Air raid sirens sounded across several parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, after Iran’s state media reported a fresh wave of missiles fired from central Iran toward what it described as “enemy positions.”
Kuwait stated that its air defence systems intercepted hostile drones amid ongoing retaliatory attacks targeting Gulf states. Meanwhile, separate incidents were reported overnight at Britain’s Royal Air Force base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, where a suspected drone strike caused minor damage but no casualties.