Tehran said it has shot down two US military aircraft that were flying in Iranian airspace, escalating tensions as fighting between Iran on one side and the US and Israel on the other continues into its 36th day.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released a video claiming it brought down a US F-15 fighter jet over southern Iran. Iranian reports put the aircraft’s value at Rs 289 crore.
The US said special forces launched an immediate recovery mission and rescued one of the two pilots from the F-15, while the other is still missing. During the operation, two US combat helicopters came under Iranian attack, suffered minor damage and returned safely, with personnel sustaining minor injuries.
Iran also claimed it shot down a US A-10 “Warthog” attack aircraft valued at Rs 174 crore. The aircraft reportedly caught fire and crashed after entering Kuwaiti airspace; the pilot parachuted to safety and was later recovered.
The IRGC described the incident as a major success and announced a reward for anyone who captures and hands over the missing US pilot alive. Iran said this was the first time in the current war that a US aircraft was directly shot down in the air, while also claiming 16 US warplanes have been damaged over the past month, including some hit on the ground and some reportedly by friendly fire.
