Gulf cities rocked by explosions as conflict enters third day
Iran on Monday shared dramatic visuals appearing to show an F-15 fighter jet engulfed in flames before spiralling down over Kuwait, claiming it had shot down the aircraft as the conflict with United States-backed Israel entered its third day.
The footage circulating online shows a twin-engine fighter jet trailing fire from its rear section while descending in slow motion. It was not immediately clear whether the aircraft belonged to the United States or Israel. Iranian authorities asserted responsibility for the downing, though some unconfirmed reports suggested the possibility of “friendly fire.”
Multiple media outlets reported that the two pilots ejected safely before the aircraft crashed. There has been no official confirmation from Washington or Tel Aviv regarding the incident.
🚨 A US warplane has crashed in Kuwait
The news has not been confirmed by the US military or the Kuwaiti military pic.twitter.com/WS4f1xrDzX
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) March 2, 2026
Around the same time, reports from Kuwait indicated smoke rising near the US embassy, though the circumstances remain unclear.
The reported crash comes amid a rapidly intensifying regional conflict triggered by US–Israel missile strikes on Iranian regime facilities and military bases in Tehran over the weekend. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Tel Aviv and American military installations across the Gulf.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on the first day of the strikes after missiles hit a compound in central Tehran, according to Iranian sources. US President Donald Trump confirmed the development, describing the cleric in a statement on Truth Social.
On Monday morning, explosions were reported across several Gulf cities as Iran continued its retaliatory campaign. Air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem, according to AFP, after the Israeli military said it had detected incoming missiles launched from Iran.
The scale of hostilities has expanded steadily over the past 72 hours, with Iran-backed groups such as Hezbollah also reportedly entering the fray. Airspace closures, flight cancellations and civilian evacuations have followed across multiple countries.
In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai’s international airport temporarily suspended operations, disrupting global transit routes. A luxury hotel in the city was reportedly struck by a missile. Meanwhile, Tehran claimed that a US–Israel strike hit a school in Minab, resulting in heavy casualties — a claim that has yet to be independently verified.
Official figures indicate more than 200 confirmed casualties so far, though human rights organisations monitoring developments warn the actual toll could be significantly higher as fighting continues.
With neither side showing signs of de-escalation, the reported fighter jet crash underscores the growing risks of miscalculation in an already volatile regional conflict.
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