Tensions flared in Iran after Iranian military officials claimed several American aircrafts were destroyed during a U.S. operation aimed at locating a stranded airman in the southern part of Isfahan Province.
The incident reportedly occurred as American forces launched a search mission following the crash of a fighter jet earlier in the week.
U.S. officials told Reuters late Saturday that a second crew member from a downed F-15 Eagle had been successfully rescued. The pilot’s recovery came a day after the first member of the aircraft’s crew was located and brought to safety.
According to a spokesperson for the unified command of the Iranian armed forces, further assessments carried out at the scene indicated that Iranian forces destroyed multiple American aircrafts during the operation. The official claimed the equipment included two Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport planes and two Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
In separate statements, both the Iranian army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also said they shot down two drones operating in the area — an Hermes 900 and a General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper used by the United States.
Reuters reported that it could not independently verify the claims made by Iranian authorities.
Meanwhile, Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency said the U.S. carried out extensive search operations across three provinces — Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, and Isfahan — as part of the effort to locate and recover the downed aircrew.
