Trump reveals US Patriot missiles downed 3 American F-15 jets over Kuwait, calls it ‘little mishap’

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has confirmed that the three American F-15 jets shot down over Kuwait were hit by US Patriot missiles.

This is a shocking break from military protocol. Trump said on Tuesday, March 24, that Kuwaiti forces accidentally shot down three allied planes with US-made Patriot missiles after mistaking them for enemy threats.

Trump insists the Kuwaitis made a mistake 

Speaking to the press in the Oval Office, the president downplayed the March 2 incident as a "little mishap" and said all three pilots of the US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets successfully ejected and are "flying today."

Initial claims circulating in some media suggested the aircraft may have been intercepted by air defense systems, prompting speculation about the cause of the losses.

"They shot down three planes with our missiles. They happen to be our planes," he said, adding that all pilots survived and were already back in action.

Trump insisted that "the Kuwaitis made a mistake, they fired...They thought they were firing at the enemy. It was, as the expression goes, friendly fire."

"The pilots made it… pretty amazing," Trump said. "They’re flying today."

Conflicting versions emerge

Three US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets crashed on March 2, the third day of the Iran war, while military operations were still going on in the area.

Later, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the crash and called it an "apparent friendly fire" incident that happened during active combat.

Kuwait's first response was to admit that the event happened and say that "technical measures" were taken in coordination with US forces. There is an investigation going on, but officials haven't said what went wrong in public.

An earlier report by The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, said the jets may not have been hit by ground-based systems as initially believed.

Instead, it claimed a Kuwaiti Air Force F/A-18 Hornet mistakenly fired three missiles, each striking a US jet.

According to that account, a single Hornet pilot launched all three missiles during a moment of confusion as Iranian drones were reportedly entering Kuwaiti airspace.

At the same time, Iranian state media had claimed responsibility for downing at least one aircraft, a claim that US officials have rejected.

Semi-official outlets such as Mehr News and Tasnim claimed Iran was responsible for shooting down the aircraft, though no evidence has been presented to support that assertion.

While Trump’s remarks have reignited attention on the episode, the incident itself remains a focal point for military planners assessing the risks of continued escalation.