US Military Planes Crash in Kuwait: NTD Live Special Coverage

U.S. Central Command said three U.S. fighter jets were shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in a friendly fire incident. Six crew members ejected safely and are recovering in the hospital. Officials in Kuwait said their condition is stable. The cause of the incident is under investigation. There’s currently an ongoing threat of missile and drone attacks over Kuwait. The U.S. government is warning Americans in the country to take cover indoors. Kuwait said early on March 2 that it intercepted a number of Iranian drones. The country is home to the forward headquarters of U.S. Army Central.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the operation could last up to five weeks. He said it’s too early to make any commitment regarding future leadership in Iran, adding that operations are “quite ahead of schedule.” A drone also hit a British Royal Air Force base in Cyprus overnight. The island’s president and Britain’s Defense Ministry said today the strike caused limited damage and no casualties. Israel is also launching new air strikes on March 2, targeting sites in Iran and expanding operations to include Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Oil prices spiked after Iranian attacks disrupted shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The price of oil in the United States surged by around 9 percent as markets began trading. Roughly 20 million barrels of oil move through the strait every day, along with 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Shipping data show that more than 200 vessels, including oil and liquefied gas tankers, are stalled outside the Strait.