By Helen Regan, Eyad Kourdi, Haley Britzky, CNN

(CNN) — Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense said “several United States military aircraft crashed” on Monday and that “all crew members survived.”

The statement comes after videos geolocated by CNN showed a fighter jet crashing in Kuwait and a pilot parachuting to the ground. The video appeared to show an F-15E fighter jet, according to a CNN analysis.

It’s unclear what caused the crashes of the aircraft, which each cost tens of millions of dollars. CNN has reached out to US Central Command and the White House for comment.

“Relevant authorities immediately initiated search-and-rescue operations,” Kuwait’s defense ministry spokesperson Col. Said Al-Atwan said in the statement.

“The crews were evacuating from the crash sites and transferred to hospital to assess their condition and provided necessary medical care,” he said.

The crew members are in a “stable” condition, the ministry added.

Al-Atwan said Kuwait was in “direct coordination” with US authorities.

One video geolocated by CNN shows a fighter jet crashing over Kuwait near a US air base. The video shows a jet on fire and falling in a tailspin out of the sky, and it suggests the jet came down within 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) of the US Ali Al Salem base in Kuwait.

The crashes come during heavy bombardment on Gulf nations as part of an expanding war with Iran. It also comes as smoke has been seen over the area surrounding the US Embassy in Kuwait.

It is notable when US fighter jets crash overseas and often triggers an investigation.

In 2024, a US ship “mistakenly fired” upon a F/A-18 operating from the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea. The incident was investigated, and the two Navy pilots ejected safely.

The US military has a significant number of military assets in the region, deployed in the weeks leading up to the joint US-Israeli military operation that kicked off early Saturday morning Eastern Time. A list put out by CENTCOM on Sunday showing the assets employed thus far included F-18s, F-16s, F-22s, F-35s, A-10 attack aircraft, MQ-9 Reaper drones, refueling aircraft, counter-drone systems, Navy aircraft carriers and guided-missile destroyers.

More than 1,000 targets have been struck, the CENTCOM release on Sunday said, adding that the military is focusing on military targets like command and control centers, Iranian Navy ships and submarines, Islamic Revolutionary Guard corps headquarters and more.

This story has been updated with additional details.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

The post Kuwait’s defense ministry says ‘several’ US military aircraft have crashed, all crews survived appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

The post March Edness 2026: Day 1 appeared first on edhat.

By Brad Lendon, CNN

(CNN) — Before the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Washington assembled its largest force and some of its most powerful weaponry in the Middle East in decades.

President Donald Trump had warned the US was “locked and loaded” – and Saturday’s strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader gave that force a destructive purpose.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Sunday released a list of the US weaponry that has been used so far in the war with Iran.

Here’s a look at the assets used so far in what the Pentagon calls “Operation Epic Fury”:

B-2 stealth bombers: The bat-winged bombers, priced at more than a billion dollars each, are the most potent platform in the US Air Force. Powered by four jet engines, the B-2 can carry conventional or nuclear weapons, with intercontinental range and aerial refueling.

Piloted by a crew of two, the B-2s usually fly from their home at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, as they did last year when they struck Iranian nuclear complexes in a 34-hour round-trip mission.

That mission last June was undertaken by seven of the 19 B-2s in the fleet, with others used for a feint trip to Hawaii. They used the biggest of the US conventional bombs – the 30,000-pound massive ordnance penetrator – to attack three Iranian nuclear sites.

This time they used 2,000-pound bombs to hit Iranian ballistic missile installations, CENTCOM said.

LUCAS one-way drones: Operation Epic Fury marks the first use of the drones in combat for the US, according to CENTCOM.

The drone unit – Task Force Scorpion Strike (TFSS) – was activated in the Middle East late last year, a CENTCOM statement said.

“TFSS is designed to quickly deliver low cost and effective drone capabilities into the hands of warfighters,” the statement said.

The Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) is essentially a knock off of the Iranian-designed Shahed 136 drones that Russia has used in large numbers in its war on Ukraine.

“These low-cost drones, modeled after Iran’s Shahed drones, are now delivering American-made retribution,” CENTCOM said in a social media post.

US warships: CENTCOM says US aircraft carriers and guided-missile destroyers have seen action in the war.

Two US aircraft carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford were in the Middle East when the strikes on Iran began. The Lincoln was in the Arabian Sea and the Ford in the Mediterranean off Israel.

CENTCOM has released video of F/A-18 and F-35 fighters taking off and landing on the Lincoln. The Ford doesn’t carry the F-35.

Iran has claimed it hit the Lincoln with ballistic missiles, something CENTCOM called a “LIE” in a social media post.

US video also shows guided-missile destroyers firing Tomahawk missiles. US Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, a number of which are in the region, can carry as many as 96 Tomahawks.

The destroyers, with their Aegis ballistic missile defense systems, can also be used to protect the carriers they often sail with and assets ashore.

Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems: Patriot and THAAD (Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense) batteries are used to combat incoming Iranian drones and ballistic missiles.

The number of Patriot and THAAD interceptors fired so far is unknown.

But Iran has sent thousands of drones and missiles at targets around the Middle East, and analysts have expressed concern that stocks of the interceptors, taxed by last year’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran, and by units supplied to Ukraine to defend against Russian attacks, could run low if Iran keeps up its retaliatory strikes over an extended time.

Fighter jets: CENTCOM says a range of fighter jets have seen action in the war’s first days. Those include F

CNN, DONALD TRUMP, TRUTH SOCIAL, US CENTRAL COMMAND, X, CENTCOM , X, VANTOR, MDA, IRIB, PRESS TV, @FARSNA, TELEGRAM, Donald Trump/Truth Social, US Central Command/X, CENTCOM / X, @Farsna/Telegram

By Brad Lendon, CNN

(CNN) — Before the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Washington assembled its largest force and some of its most powerful weaponry in the Middle East in decades.

President Donald Trump had warned the US was “locked and loaded” – and Saturday’s strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader gave that force a destructive purpose.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Sunday released a list of the US weaponry that has been used so far in the war with Iran.

Here’s a look at the assets used so far in what the Pentagon calls “Operation Epic Fury”:

B-2 stealth bombers: The bat-winged bombers, priced at more than a billion dollars each, are the most potent platform in the US Air Force. Powered by four jet engines, the B-2 can carry conventional or nuclear weapons, with intercontinental range and aerial refueling.

Piloted by a crew of two, the B-2s usually fly from their home at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, as they did last year when they struck Iranian nuclear complexes in a 34-hour round-trip mission.

That mission last June was undertaken by seven of the 19 B-2s in the fleet, with others used for a feint trip to Hawaii. They used the biggest of the US conventional bombs – the 30,000-pound massive ordnance penetrator – to attack three Iranian nuclear sites.

This time they used 2,000-pound bombs to hit Iranian ballistic missile installations, CENTCOM said.

LUCAS one-way drones: Operation Epic Fury marks the first use of the drones in combat for the US, according to CENTCOM.

The drone unit – Task Force Scorpion Strike (TFSS) – was activated in the Middle East late last year, a CENTCOM statement said.

“TFSS is designed to quickly deliver low cost and effective drone capabilities into the hands of warfighters,” the statement said.

The Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) is essentially a knock off of the Iranian-designed Shahed 136 drones that Russia has used in large numbers in its war on Ukraine.

“These low-cost drones, modeled after Iran’s Shahed drones, are now delivering American-made retribution,” CENTCOM said in a social media post.

US warships: CENTCOM says US aircraft carriers and guided-missile destroyers have seen action in the war.

Two US aircraft carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford were in the Middle East when the strikes on Iran began. The Lincoln was in the Arabian Sea and the Ford in the Mediterranean off Israel.

CENTCOM has released video of F/A-18 and F-35 fighters taking off and landing on the Lincoln. The Ford doesn’t carry the F-35.

Iran has claimed it hit the Lincoln with ballistic missiles, something CENTCOM called a “LIE” in a social media post.

US video also shows guided-missile destroyers firing Tomahawk missiles. US Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, a number of

By Karla Cripps, CNN

(CNN) — The war in Iran continues to cause aviation chaos in the Middle East and beyond, with planes remaining grounded in one of the world’s busiest travel regions.

Airlines around the world have been forced to cancel flights through multiple cities in the area, affecting thousands of global travelers.

These include airports in US-friendly Gulf states, including United Arab Emirates cities Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which have become the target of Iranian retaliation for hosting US military bases.

Here’s what travelers need to know.

Is Middle East airspace still closed?

A wide corridor of airspace over the Middle East remains closed on Monday as countries neighboring Iran restrict flights in and out of the region.

This includes the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain and Iraq, the skies over all of which remained nearly empty Monday morning, as shown on maps by flight tracking website Flightradar24.

The Middle East is home to several major airlines, including Emirates and Etihad in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and Qatar Airways, based in the Qatari capital, Doha. And the impact stretches far beyond the Middle East. All three of those cities are major global hubs, with millions of passengers transiting through them each year.

Emirates and Etihad suspended all flights to and from their bases until Monday afternoon local time.

Qatar Airways flights to and from Doha’s Hamad International Airport have also been suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace.

But with the conflict expanding with renewed strikes, it appeared unlikely to be safe for flights to resume.

How many flights have been canceled?

Thousands of international flights were canceled on Sunday and Monday, according to data from FlightAware.com, and the numbers continue to rise.

Outside the region, other airlines continue to reroute flights that had been scheduled to fly near the conflict zone. German airline Lufthansa, for instance, has suspended flights to and from Dubai until March 4. It has also suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Dammam, and Tehran until March 8.

British Airways has canceled services to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until Wednesday.

What should you do if your flight is canceled?

The impact on aviation is expected to be felt for at least the next few days.

Travelers are advised to check with their airline or travel agent as soon as possible for information on rebooking and refunds, though passengers are reporting difficulties getting assistance because of high caller volumes.

Policies vary according to the airline.

According to the Emirates website, travelers booked to fly before or on March 5 can book an alternate flight for travel on or before March 20, or request a refund.

Guests holding Etihad tickets issued on or before February 28, 2026, with original travel dates up to March 7, may rebook free of charge onto Etihad-operated flights up to March 18.

Policies are similar outside the region. British Airways, for instance, says customers flying between London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai or Tel Aviv up to March 15 can change their flight date free of charge to travel on or before March 29, while those travelling up to March 8 may also request a full refund.

What are governments advising?

The US State Department has issued a security alert advising US citizens around the world to “exercise caution” and follow the latest guidance from their nearest US embassy or consulate.

US citizens affected by the situation are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which allows the Department of State to contact US citizens