Kuwait City, Kuwait. Several U.S. military aircraft crashed in Kuwait early on Monday, with all crew members surviving and in stable condition, Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence said. Kuwait also reported intercepting hostile drones as conflict widened across the Middle East.
Aircraft crashes and crew evacuations
Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence said the crews from the crashed aircraft were evacuated, transferred to hospital and were in stable condition. The ministry said the response was carried out in coordination with U.S. forces, according to a statement carried by the state news agency.
The Kuwaiti statement did not specify how many aircraft were involved.
Claims and video from Al Jahra
Iran’s state media cited the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as saying Iranian armed forces hit a U.S. plane that crashed in Kuwait.
Online video verified by Reuters as being taken in the Al Jahra area of Kuwait showed a military aircraft falling from the sky and a person parachuting in the same shot.
Embassy-area smoke and requests for comment
In a separate incident, smoke was seen rising from the vicinity of the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait City, and fire trucks and ambulances were in the area, a witness told Reuters.
There were no responses to requests for comment on the embassy incident from the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait or from the U.S. State Department.
Drone interceptions and refinery injuries
Kuwait intercepted hostile drones earlier on Monday, the third consecutive day of Iranian retaliatory strikes on neighbouring Gulf states in response to U.S. and Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic.
Two workers were slightly injured by falling debris at Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, Kuwait’s National Petroleum Company said on X.
U.S. Embassy warning to citizens
The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait warned U.S. citizens that there was a continuing threat of missile and drone attacks over the country and urged citizens not to come to the embassy.
It advised people to shelter in place, remain on the lowest floor of their residence away from windows and not go outside.
How are the reported crashes and drone interceptions affecting safety guidance for residents and visitors in Kuwait?
