A major mistake by Kuwait almost led to an even bigger issue with a US pilot.

A shocking moment unfolded after a US pilot found himself in danger after he survived his fighter jet being shot down over Kuwait.

Footage shows a group of men aggressively shouting as they approach the pilot. One of them even holds a metal pole above his head.

Multiple US fighter jets were downed over Kuwait in “an apparent friendly fire incident” while flying in support of the US-Israeli hostilities with Iran. The F-15 jets were “mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences”, officials announced on Monday.

Videos of civilians tending to American F-15 pilots after they went down in Kuwait have surfaced online. The first viral video showed locals approaching one female pilot and asking whether she was okay. One male US pilot did not have the best interaction when he was approached.

Downed US Pilot Gets Mistaken For Iranian By Kuwait Locals

Protesters of the Trump administration and its operations in Iran and local Iranians in support of the U.S. actions in their home country clash at the Wesley Bolin Plaza on March 2, 2026, in Phoenix.
Video footage has emerged of a tense moment between a US fighter pilot and Kuwaiti locals who approached him. The group seemingly thinks he was Iranian, so they came ready to attack. The F-15 fighter jet was shot down along with two others in a so-called friendly fire incident over the Gulf country.

In the video, two men are seen approaching the pilot while others are heard shouting at them in Arabic out of frame. One of the men is brandishing what appears to be a metal pipe above his head and getting ready to attack.

The US Pilot can be heard repeatedly urging them to “back up, back up.” He then slowly kneels to the ground with his palms out toward the men. “Back up, I’m American,” he tells them. That prompted the man brandishing the pipe to immediately walk away from him.

A Kuwaiti defence spokesperson said that “direct coordination was conducted with the friendly U.S. forces regarding the circumstances of the incident, and joint technical measures were taken.”

They added: “Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.”

At least six US military personnel have been killed since joint US-Israeli strikes were launched against Iran.