TEHRAN, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said on Monday the country's air defense has shot down three U.S. fighter jets, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
Earlier in the day, Iran said its armed forces had brought down a U.S. F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jet in Kuwait, according to a statement published on the Iranian army's official website.
It added that the U.S. fighter jet, "which sought to attack Iran," was shot down by the Iranian air defense forces, and that the warplane crashed in Kuwait's territory.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that three U.S. F-15 Eagle Strike fighter jets crashed over Kuwait after being hit by "friendly fire."
In a statement posted on its official account, CENTCOM said that during active combat involving Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones, the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defense systems.
On Saturday morning, joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with some of the leader's family members, senior military commanders and civilians.
Iran responded through several waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases across the Middle East. ■
