KUWAITS’ Ministry of Defense on Monday, March 2, confirmed that multiple United States military aircraft went down within the country, but said all crew members survived the incidents.
Kuwait, a small but strategically significant Gulf state bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia, hosts key US military installations and serves as a logistical hub for American operations in the Middle East. Its proximity to Iran and location along vital shipping routes in the Persian Gulf have placed it within the orbit of the expanding regional conflict.
In a statement issued by the ministry’s spokesperson, Said Al-Atwan, authorities said search-and-rescue teams were immediately deployed to the crash sites. The affected personnel were evacuated and taken to hospital for medical evaluation.
“The crews were evacuating from the crash sites and transferred to hospital to assess their condition and provided necessary medical care,” the spokesperson said, noting that they were in stable condition.
He added that Kuwait was in direct coordination with US authorities over the matter.
The ICIR sighted video geolocated by CNN which showed at least one fighter jet crashing in Kuwait, with a pilot parachuting to safety. The aircraft in the footage appeared to be an F-15E fighter jet, based on CNN’s analysis.
Another video, also sighted by The ICIR, showed the jet engulfed in flames, descending in a tailspin before coming down.
Details surrounding the incidents remain sketchy, as authorities have yet to confirm the exact number of US fighter jets involved or the precise cause of the crashes.
Meanwhile, some reports have suggested the aircraft might have been brought down by Iranian fire amid the ongoing conflict with the United States, but there has been no official confirmation.
The ICIR reports that the incidents occurred on the backheel of the military activity across the Gulf region linked to an escalating conflict involving Iran.
Since the attack that started on Saturday with the killing of Iran supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, Iran has been attacking several neighboring countries that house US military base and facilities in a retaliatory attempt.
According to reports, over 500 people have been killed in Iran since the start of the US–Israeli airstrike campaign.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M