U.S. Shoots Down Three of Its Own Fighter Jets as Iran War Spirals

Three U.S. fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait in what the U.S. Central Command described as a “friendly fire incident.” Each pilot involved reportedly ejected from their jet and survived.

“At 11:03 p.m. ET, March 1, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident. During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones—the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” CENTCOM wrote in a statement. “All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. 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 news immediately raised both skepticism and concern for competency.

“Friendly fire does happen. But three F-15Es? Downstream effects of ops tempo + lack of training + faulty mission planning + panic,” Air Force veteran and former Representative Denver Lee Riggleman III wrote on X. “I mission planned F-15Es for a living in the USAF.… Our military is IN Kuwait on permanent station in multiple locations. This is operational incompetence.”

“‘Friendly fire’ shooting down, not one, but three US F15 jets is an insane way to say you got fu€ked by Iran,” Lebanese activist Hadi Nasrallah claimed.

“The claim all three US warplanes were brought down by ‘friendly fire’ deserves further scrutiny,” Drop Site News’s Jeremy Scahill said. “CENTCOM also noted that the planes went down ‘During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones.’”

Whether claims of friendly fire are true or an attempt to cover up devastating incompetence, it’s clear that the Trump administration is moving wastefully and recklessly in its war on Iran. It has already killed hundreds of innocent Iranian men, women, and children, and the war has also resulted in four U.S. troop deaths.