A U.S. military pilot who was accidentally shot down by Kuwaiti forces was threatened by locals after they assumed him to be an Iranian.
The unnamed pilot “was one of six crew members aboard three F-15 US fighter jets that were mistakenly shot down by air defenses in Kuwait on Monday,” according to The Independent.
Footage of an F-15 falling out of the sky this morning over Kuwait, in an apparent “friendly fire” incident involving the U.S. Air Force. pic.twitter.com/GQvryfJ4C4
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 2, 2026
The pilot “landed next to a motorway in the Gulf country, with footage showing black plumes of smoke rising in the distance after the crash.”
Upon landing, he was surrounded by a few angry locals, one of them armed with a metal pipe, who reportedly thought he was an Iranian military operative and demanded he “get down.”
“Back up — stop,” the pilot shouted back.
Not until he told the locals that he was an American did they back off.
They were gonna slaughter this dude on the spot if the found out he was Iranian…
pic.twitter.com/NASnvBc6CF— The Moderate Case (@TheModerateCase) March 3, 2026
The man and the five other pilots all reportedly survived.
“Several US warplanes crashed this morning. Confirming that all crew members survived,” a spokesperson for Kuwait’s defense ministry said, according to the Daily Mail.
“Authorities immediately initiated search and rescue operations, evacuating the crews and transporting them to a hospital for medical evaluation and treatment. Their condition is stable,” the spokesperson added.
The planes “crashed” because of “friendly fire” during an operation against Iran.
⚠️ ⚠️
| The U.S. F-15 fighter jet pilot who was shot down over Kuwait moments ago in a friendly fire incident is alive.
He ejected and is now being taken care of by a group of Kuwaitis… pic.twitter.com/HYbXIprMPO
— Iran Spectator (@IranSpec) March 2, 2026
The Kuwaiti 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.”
“Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation,” they added.
Meanwhile, another video that has emerged from Kuwait shows another pilot — this one a woman — receiving a much more welcome response:
Over Kuwait, a U.S. Air Force jet crashed during operations.
The pilot ejected safely — she was a woman.
As she landed, a Kuwaiti man rushed to her, “Are you safe? You’re in a safe place!”
She smiled and said, “I’m fine.pic.twitter.com/34dVuKA9JC
— Swaksh Tripathi (@SwakshTripathi) March 3, 2026
“You need something to help you?” a man recording the female pilot could be heard asking. “No problem, you are safe, you are safe. Everything good? Thank you for helping us.”
The six survivors of the “friendly fire” incident were the lucky ones. Six other U.S. military personnel did not survive strikes launched by Iran over the weekend.
“I want to express my deep condolences and the condolences of the Joint Force to the Department of War personnel killed and wounded in actions thus far,” Gen. Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a press briefing Monday morning.
“They’re heroes and represent the best our nation has to offer. They’re true examples of what selfless service means. Our deepest and heartfelt condolences are with their families, their friends, and their units. We grieve with you, and we will never forget you,” he added.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine offered his “deepest and heartfelt condolences” to the families of the four U.S. service members killed during the joint U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran.
“They’re heroes and represent the best our nation has to offer,” Caine… pic.twitter.com/1dfaGNVFaD
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 2, 2026
All this comes as Iran is lashing out furiously in anger over the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
“Iran launched retaliatory strikes across the Gulf, including on a US military base in Qatar and Kuwait as well as a strike on the Aramco Ras Tanura oil refinery in Saudi Arabia,” The Independent notes.
“Iran’s proxy group Hezbollah in Lebanon has also entered the fray, promising to avenge the death of the Ayatollah. Israel on Monday launched strikes against southern Lebanon and Beirut, killing 31 people,” according to the British outlet.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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