Three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were shot down Sunday by Kuwaiti air defenses “due to an apparent friendly fire incident,” U.S. Central Command announced.
The U.S. Air Force jets were flying in support of the ongoing U.S.- and Israel-led campaign against Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, when they were shot down, officials said.
“All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered and are in stable condition,” a CENTCOM release stated. “Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.”
The incident is under investigation, the release added.
Iran has escalated its retaliatory strikes over the last 24 hours, targeting multinational bases and civilian infrastructure across the region.
In a statement Monday, the Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized Iran for “unjustified strikes [that] targeted sovereign territories, endangered civilians and inflicted damage on civilian infrastructure.”
“The State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America strongly condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran’s indiscriminate and reckless attacks with missiles and drones against sovereign territories across the region,” the statement read.
The assault by U.S. and partner forces began Saturday at 1:15 a.m., CENTCOM officials stated, with the goal of knocking out “the Iranian regime’s security apparatus, prioritizing locations that posed an imminent threat.”
Among the primary targets of the operation were Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields, according to the statement.
The compound of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was also targeted in the operation. A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Khamenei was killed in the strike. Trump later confirmed in a Truth Social post on Saturday that Khamenei was killed in the attack, calling the moment “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.”
Three U.S. service members have been killed in action during combat operations against Iran, CENTCOM officials announced Sunday. Five more have been listed as “seriously wounded.”
At least 555 people in Iran have been killed by U.S.-Israeli strikes, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said Monday, while more than 130 cities across the country have been hit during the attacks.
J.D. Simkins is the executive editor of Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.
