VIDEO | Three US fighters crash in Kuwait during offensive against Iran

The United States Central Command confirmed this Monday that three F-15E Strike Eagle fighters crashed in Kuwait territory after an “apparent friendly fire incident”, while participating in combat operations linked to the offensive called Operation Epic Fury.

KNOCKED DOWN BY ERROR IN THE MIDDLE OF COMBAT

According to the official statement, the events occurred during “active combat”, in a scenario that included attacks by Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones.

“During active combat, which included attacks by Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones, US Air Force fighters were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” the report detailed.

The incident occurred while US aircraft were providing support to the operation launched early Saturday against targets in Iran.

THE SIX CREW, ALIVE

The Central Command stated that the six soldiers on board managed to eject successfully.

“The six crew members ejected safely, have been recovered and are in stable condition,” the authorities said, while confirming that Kuwait recognized the event and that the cause remains under investigation.

For its part, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense previously reported that several US warplanes went down on Monday morning and confirmed that all crew members survived. He added that there is direct coordination with US forces to clarify what happened and apply joint technical procedures.

VIDEOS AND REGIONAL TENSION

Videos began to circulate on social networks in which at least one of the aircraft was seen engulfed in flames before hitting the ground, images that intensified international attention to the incident.

The accidental demolition occurs in a context of unprecedented escalation of war. Early Saturday morning, Israel and the United States launched a joint attack on Iran with the stated goal of “eliminating threats” from the Iranian government.

The bombings resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as at least four other senior military commanders.

In response, Iran launched several waves of ballistic missiles against Israel and against US bases in Middle Eastern countries, increasing the risk of a larger regional confrontation.

OPEN INVESTIGATION AND RISK OF ESCALATION

Although no fatalities were reported in the Kuwait incident, the recognition of an error in allied air defense systems exposes operational fragility in high intensity scenarios and multiplies diplomatic and military pressure.

The joint investigation will have to determine whether identification protocols or air coordination systems failed, at a time when each error can have strategic consequences.