Several U.S. military aircraft crashed in Kuwait early Monday, though all crew members survived and are reported to be in stable condition, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defence confirmed, as regional tensions escalate across the Middle East.
In a separate incident, smoke was seen near the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait City, prompting a response from fire trucks and ambulances, according to a Reuters witness. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait and the U.S. State Department had not commented on the incident as of Monday.
Kuwait’s Defence Ministry said the crews from the crashed aircraft were evacuated and transferred to hospitals in coordination with U.S. forces. The statement did not specify how many aircraft were involved. Iranian state media cited the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claiming responsibility for hitting a U.S. plane in Kuwait.
Online footage verified by Reuters from the Al Jahra area showed a military aircraft falling from the sky, with a parachute visible nearby.
Meanwhile, two workers at Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery suffered minor injuries from falling debris, according to Kuwait’s National Petroleum Company.
The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait has issued a warning to American citizens, citing a continuing threat of missile and drone attacks. Citizens were urged to shelter in place, remain on the lowest floors of their residences away from windows, and avoid traveling outside.
Kuwait’s air defences intercepted most of the incoming drones near the Rumaithiya and Salwa neighbourhoods, with no additional injuries reported, the state news agency cited the director-general of civil defence.
The crisis follows three consecutive days of Iranian retaliatory strikes on Gulf states after U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran last Saturday. Loud explosions were reported Monday morning in Dubai and Doha, with sirens and blasts also heard across Kuwait.
Tehran has warned it will continue targeting U.S. bases in the region, while its attacks on civilian and commercial areas have disrupted key aviation and trade hubs, further intensifying regional instability.