Although the United States and Israel may have inflicted significant military blows on Iran, and the American president, Donald Trump, is celebrating. for the simultaneous killing of 48 top leaders of the Iranian regime, the Iranians in these first hours of the war. are winning the impressions.
Already the Iranians, as at least the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claim, managed to strike the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln with four ballistic missiles, to attack American and British bases from Iraq. all the way to Cyprus, and at the same time to shoot down American F-15s, as claimed by the Ministry of Defense of Kuwait.
F-15s were shot down
The Ministry of Defense of Kuwait announced that “several US military aircraft crashed” on Monday, March 2, while claiming, however, that “all crew members survived.”
The statement comes after videos located by American television networks, such as CNN, that showed a fighter aircraft crashing in Kuwait and a pilot parachuting to the ground.
CNN has contacted US Central Command for comment.
“The competent authorities immediately launched search and rescue operations,” said the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense of Kuwait, General Said Al-Atwan, in the statement.
Good news for IRAN?
— Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) (@IranMilittary) March 2, 2026
American fighter jets shoot down...
Crash in Kuwait ?? pic.twitter.com/6hJseUFRXr
“The crews were removed from the crash sites and transferred to a hospital to assess their condition and provide them with the necessary medical care,” he added.
The crew members are in “stable” condition, the ministry added.
Al-Atwan said that Kuwait is in “direct coordination” with the American authorities.
It is not yet clear what caused the American fighters to go down.
The Ministry of Defense of Kuwait continues investigations into the causes of the incident.
What the Iranians say
In footage circulating on social media, a missile appears to hit the aircraft, the F-15 catches fire and rapidly loses altitude, after which the pilot ejects. Iranian media claim that the missile belonged to Iran.
However, the US command said that the F-15 went down from friendly fire.
U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle has been shot down over Kuwait ? pic.twitter.com/OWOCYO9D4Y
— Pakistan Strategic Forum (@ForumStrategic) March 2, 2026
Attacks on American bases
Iranian media reported that an Iranian drone struck the American military base Buehring, after which air-raid sirens sounded in several areas of Kuwait.
Specifically, a target in the country’s northwest was hit, causing an explosion and a dense cloud of smoke.
In addition, it is reported that Iran struck the US naval base in Kuwait with four ballistic missiles and 12 drones.
The targets of the attacks were two military ships.
“The US naval base Ali Al-Salem in Kuwait was completely destroyed after the recent attacks, while three other US naval infrastructure facilities in Kuwait were also destroyed,” the IRGC announced.
According to the Iranian news agency Fars, targets of the attacks were American bases in Qatar, Kuwait, Dubai, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.
Targets in Iraq, Bahrain
New explosions, however, were reported again today, Monday, March 2, in the area of Erbil, in Iraq.
It is noted that yesterday, Sunday, March 1, strong explosions occurred near Erbil airport, where American troops are also located.
And in Bahrain, the American embassy called on American citizens to avoid hotels in the capital, Manama, citing the ongoing missile and drone attacks from Iran as well as potential terrorist acts that could target American citizens.
Alert in Cyprus as well, the British base in Akrotiri was a target
It is characteristic that there was also an attack on the British base in Akrotiri, in Limassol of Cyprus.
As has become known, from the drone attack there were only minor material damages.
In statements, the president of Cyprus, N. Christodoulidis, said that “Cyprus does not participate in any way and does not intend to become part of any military operation,” while he confirmed that at 00:03 at midnight an unmanned aerial vehicle of the Shahed type crashed within the military installations of the British Bases in Akrotiri, causing minor material damages.
The attack on the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln
It had been preceded by the unbelievable attack on the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln with 4 ballistic missiles, as announced by the IRGC.
The attack, according to Iranian television IRIB, was carried out with four ballistic missiles, as stated by the IRGC press service on Telegram on Sunday 1/3/2026.
“The American aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln was hit by four ballistic missiles,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by local media, warning that “land and sea will increasingly become the cemetery of the attacking terrorists.”
The USS Abraham Lincoln has been operating in the Arabian Sea since late January.
A US official told Al Jazeera that the Iranian missile attack on the USS Abraham Lincoln did not affect the aircraft carrier, which continues its operations.
The same official claimed that the missile did not reach the ship and caused no damage.
Despite the significance of the action, Forbes analyst Peter Suchiu underscores that it is almost impossible to sink an American aircraft carrier with the existing means.
Modern aircraft-carrier design specifications ensure the maintenance of buoyancy even after serious damage, making their complete destruction through conventional missile attacks difficult.
This does not, however, reduce the intensity and risk of the situation.
Ballistic missiles can cause significant damage to the ship’s upper and critical systems, such as aircraft, landing decks and communications systems, temporarily reducing the aircraft carrier’s operational capability and creating serious pressure on the American command.
In the previous period, and before the attacks of February 28, 2026, IRGC officials were warning the United States that Iran will become the first country in the world to sink an aircraft carrier.
The purpose of the attacks
The Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Larijani, earlier issued an appeal to neighboring countries due to the escalation of the conflict, stressing that Iran’s attacks are directed exclusively against American bases in the region.
This action comes as part of an overall strategic response by Tehran to the American-Israeli military operations, aiming to underscore Iran’s ability to strike strategic targets even in maritime areas of long range.
The selection of the USS Abraham Lincoln as a target is of particular significance, as aircraft carriers constitute the primary lever of power projection of the United States in the region.
The attack, regardless of outcome, has clear political and strategic significance, sending a message of determination to Washington and its allies.
Aramco oil refinery targeted
Iran also attacked the Aramco refinery at Ras Tanura, which is one of the largest oil refineries in the world.
According to information, Shahed-136 drones were used in the attack.
The Ras Tanura oil refinery of Saudi Arabia was attacked on Monday by drones, the country’s defense ministry said.
Authorities shot down the incoming aircraft and no injuries were reported.
The announcement comes after an earlier report by Bloomberg that said Aramco had suspended operations at the Ras Tanura refinery after a drone attack in the area.
The Ras Tanura complex hosts one of the largest refineries in the Middle East, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day.
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