“Several” U.S. fighter jets have crashed over Kuwait, the nation’s military has confirmed.
The shocking video emerged hours after President Donald Trump confirmed that there would be “likely more” servicemembers as a result of the weekend strikes on Iran. The Islamic Republic has launched a barrage of retaliatory strikes against targets in the Gulf in the wake of the death of the country’s leader, Ali Hosseini Khamenei.
In a statement posted on X, Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense said that several aircraft were involved in the crash.
“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, noting that their condition is stable.”
Footage posted online showed a jet falling from the sky in flames, and CNN analysis of the video suggested it was an F-15E twin-engine fighter jet.
Another video appeared to show a pilot parachuting to the ground.
While those involved in the collision survived, at least three American service members have been killed amid the ongoing strikes on Iran, with President Trump warning that number could get “quite a bit higher.”
Trump has suggested the conflict with Iran could last for the next four weeks, the Daily Mail reports.
“It’s always been a four-week process. We figured it will be four weeks or so. It’s always been about a four-week process so – as strong as it is, it’s a big country, it’ll take four weeks – or less,” the Mail quoted Trump as saying.
Trump told the newspaper he remained open to more talks with the Iranians, but did not say if that would happen “soon”.
“I don’t know,” Trump said, according to the report. “They want to talk, but I said you should have talked last week, not this week,” he added.
In a video posted on Truth Social, the US president warned that three US service members had been killed and said there would likely be more American casualties.
U.S. forces have launched from a variety of locations around the Middle East, including Kuwait, where the mid-air collision happened.
A Kuwait defense spokesperson added that “direct coordination was conducted with the friendly U.S. forces regarding the circumstances of the incident, and joint technical measures were taken.”
The collision is now under investigation to determine the cause of the incident, the statement said, and Kuwaiti authorities will be “calling for information” from official sources.
The statement did not specify exactly where the collision occurred or where the aircraft was traveling to or from, but it is likely they were based at Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base, approximately 23 miles from the Iraqi border.
Geolocation data from the video posted online suggested the collision occurred about 6 miles from the base, CNN reported.
The air base hosts a permanent U.S. presence with the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, including a number of F-15E fighter jets.
The F-15E Strike Eagle was first designed in the 1980s for long-range, high-speed air superiority without relying on escorts or electronic-warfare aircraft.
It can be distinguished from other similar jets by its darker camouflage and fuel tanks.
The F-15E fighters played a key role in the first Gulf War, helping to drive Saddam Hussein’s forces from Kuwait.
They have been based in the country since then.
Source: independent.co.uk