CENTCOM Confirms Kuwaiti Air Defenses Shot Down 3 U.S. F‑15Es as Iran War Spreads to Kuwait and Lebanon
CENTCOM confirmed that Kuwaiti air defenses mistakenly shot down three U.S. Air Force F‑15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait late Sunday amid heavy Iranian missile, drone and air activity tied to Operation Epic Fury; all six aircrew ejected safely, were rapidly recovered in stable condition, and Kuwait and the U.S. have opened a joint investigation. The shootdowns occurred as the U.S.–Israeli campaign expanded regionally — with Iranian strikes across Gulf capitals and fighting in Lebanon after Hezbollah’s attack — and separate reports say Iranian strikes in Kuwait have killed three U.S. service members.
📌 Key Facts
- CENTCOM confirmed Kuwaiti air defenses shot down three U.S. Air Force F‑15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait in a friendly‑fire incident late Sunday (reported engagement time 11:03 p.m. ET); Kuwait has publicly acknowledged the shootdown and a joint U.S.-Kuwaiti crash investigation is underway.
- All six aircrew ejected safely, were rapidly recovered, and are in stable condition, CENTCOM said.
- The shootdown occurred amid heavy Iranian missile, drone and aircraft activity as the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury — an initial 24‑hour campaign that struck more than 1,000 Iranian targets — employing a wide range of air, ground and naval systems (including B‑2s, F‑22s, F‑16s, A‑10s, F‑18s, F‑35s, EA‑18Gs, RC‑135s, MQ‑9s, Tomahawks, HIMARS, Patriots, THAAD and carrier/destroyer assets); CENTCOM’s Task Force Scorpion Strike also used LUCAS one‑way attack drones in combat for the first time.
- Reports say at least three U.S. service members have been killed so far in the wider conflict, including in Iranian strikes in Kuwait, a figure that aligns with CENTCOM’s earlier casualty reports and comments from U.S. officials.
- The war has widened regionally: Hezbollah launched an attack on Israel (its first in over a year), Israeli strikes on Lebanon’s south have killed and wounded civilians (Lebanon’s health ministry reported at least 31 killed and 149 wounded), Iran‑backed militias have struck U.S. bases in Iraq, and Iranian or proxy salvos and drones have triggered blasts and interceptions across Gulf capitals and facilities (including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Manama, Kuwait City, Muscat, Cyprus and Saudi Arabia).
- Significant civilian and diplomatic fallout has been reported: visible damage and fire near the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait with shelter‑in‑place warnings for Americans, closure of major Middle East hub airports with tens of thousands stranded, and no large‑scale U.S. evacuation flights announced so far.
- Iran has made a series of claims — including that it shot down a U.S. F‑15, fired 15 cruise missiles at Kuwait’s Ali al‑Salem base and at vessels in the Indian Ocean, and that large numbers of Iranians were killed (the Iranian Red Crescent’s claim of at least 555 dead, including assertions about senior figures) — but those claims are reported by Iranian sources and are not independently verified in the available reporting.
📰 Source Timeline (7)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 02, 2026
11:43 AM
Iran war widens, threatens to engulf Lebanon
New information:
- Lebanon’s health ministry reports at least 31 people killed and 149 wounded, mostly in south Lebanon, from Israeli airstrikes responding to Hezbollah’s first attack on Israel in more than a year.
- The Lebanese government says it plans to arrest those responsible for the Hezbollah rocket attack on Israel, signaling an attempt to avoid being dragged fully into war.
- Hezbollah has joined the fighting with its first attack on Israel in over a year, while powerful Iran-backed militias in Iraq have fired on a U.S. base in Erbil and targeted U.S. forces at Baghdad airport with drones.
- Iran claims it shot down a U.S. F‑15 and says it fired 15 cruise missiles at the Ali al-Salem U.S. air base in Kuwait and at ‘enemy vessels’ in the Indian Ocean, while also claiming that more than 165 schoolgirls were killed in a direct hit on a school.
- The Iranian Red Crescent Society says at least 555 Iranians have been killed since U.S. and Israeli attacks began on Saturday, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family.
- A Defense Department official, speaking anonymously, says three U.S. troops were killed in an Iranian attack in Kuwait; President Trump vows to ‘avenge’ their deaths and warns more U.S. casualties are likely.
- The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait warns Americans to shelter indoors and not come to the embassy; a news photo shows smoke near the U.S. Embassy area, though an actual strike on the compound has not been confirmed.
- Cyprus reports a drone targeting a British base, and Saudi Arabia says it shot down two drones aimed at one of its major refineries, underscoring widening Iranian and proxy strikes across the Gulf region.
11:40 AM
3 U.S. fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait
New information:
- Axios specifies that all three downed aircraft were U.S. fighter jets supporting Operation Epic Fury and that the engagement occurred at 11:03 p.m. ET Sunday.
- CENTCOM’s Monday statement, as quoted here, confirms all six aircrew members ejected safely and are in stable condition.
- The piece notes that Kuwait has formally acknowledged shooting down the jets and that the cause is under investigation.
- It underlines that the incident came as Kuwaiti air defenses were responding to ongoing Iranian missile and drone attacks that have also hit near Kuwait’s international airport and U.S. facilities.
11:26 AM
3 US warplanes shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses, pilots bail out in friendly fire incident, CENTCOM says
New information:
- CENTCOM confirms that three U.S. Air Force F‑15E Strike Eagles were shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in a friendly‑fire incident over Kuwait late Sunday.
- CENTCOM says all six aircrew members safely ejected, were rapidly recovered, and are in stable condition.
- Kuwaiti officials have publicly acknowledged the incident, and a joint investigation is underway to determine how their air defenses misidentified the U.S. jets amid Iranian aircraft, ballistic‑missile and drone activity.
10:10 AM
Deaths, travel chaos mount as Iran lashes out at U.S. allies across Gulf
New information:
- Confirms that the three U.S. service members previously reported killed in Operation Epic Fury died in Kuwait amid Iranian missile attacks, adding geographic specificity to CENTCOM’s earlier casualty disclosure.
- Reports that Iranian salvos have now triggered blasts in multiple Gulf capitals—Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Manama, Kuwait City and Muscat—showing Iran has widened its response beyond Israel and Iranian territory.
- Details visible damage and fire inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait, with alarms sounding and staff ordered to shelter, indicating Iranian missiles have come close enough to compromise a major U.S. diplomatic facility.
- Adds Kuwaiti Defense Ministry confirmation that several U.S. warplanes went down during the attacks, with all crew rescued, and that Kuwait and the U.S. have opened a joint crash investigation.
- Highlights major civilian and logistical fallout, including closure of Mideast hub airports and tens of thousands of stranded passengers, along with the U.S. decision so far not to mount evacuation flights.
1:03 AM
Another wave of strikes on Iran; first U.S. deaths confirmed
New information:
- CBS reiterates that Sunday saw a new wave of U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran, indicating the campaign remains active after the initial 24‑hour barrage.
- Confirms again that at least three U.S. service members have been killed so far in the war, aligning with but not materially changing CENTCOM’s earlier casualty count.
12:14 AM
Tomahawks, B-2 stealth bombers and attack drones pound over 1,000 Iranian targets in 24-hour blitz
New information:
- Clarifies that the casualties occurred within the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury, which struck more than 1,000 sites across Iran.
- Adds specifics on air assets (B‑2s, F‑22s, F‑16s, A‑10s, F‑18s, F‑35s, EA‑18Gs, RC‑135s, MQ‑9s) and ground/naval systems (HIMARS, Patriots, THAAD, carriers, destroyers, C‑17s, C‑130s).
- Identifies key target sets hit in the opening wave, including IRGC joint and aerospace headquarters, integrated air defenses, ballistic‑missile launch sites, Iranian naval ships and submarines, and anti‑ship missile sites.
- Reveals that CENTCOM’s Task Force Scorpion Strike employed LUCAS one‑way attack drones—its first combat use of such systems.
March 01, 2026