U.S. Central Command said the jets were mistakenly targeted by Kuwaiti air defenses amid ongoing hostilities that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones. The incident occurred one day after U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran heightened tensions across the region.
All six aircrew members ejected safely, were recovered and are in stable condition, according to U.S. Central Command. “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 statement said.
The command added that the cause of the incident remains under investigation. “Additional information will be released as it becomes available,” it said.
Kuwait’s army previously said that “several U.S. military aircraft crashed.” A spokesperson stated that “relevant authorities immediately initiated search and rescue procedures, whereby the crews were evacuated and transferred to the hospital to check on their health status and provide the necessary medical care.”
The spokesperson also said that “direct coordination was conducted with the friendly U.S. forces regarding the circumstances of the incident, and joint technical measures were taken,” adding that “authorities are following up on the investigations to determine the causes of the incident.”
The developments followed joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with President Trump announcing his death Saturday afternoon. “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS,” he added.
