A Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft operated by the United States Air Force reportedly declared an emergency on Sunday while flying over the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The fighter was broadcasting squawk code 7700, a universal signal used by aircraft to indicate a serious on-board problem or distress, which may include mechanical problems, a medical situation or some other problem on board and does not itself indicate hostile action.
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed the plane continuing towards the United Arab Emirates after flying over Oman and the Gulf of Oman.
Citing flight tracking data, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the plane headed into UAE airspace after flying over the Gulf of Oman and Oman. After the state of emergency was declared, it is said to have changed course towards the UAE and started to descend.
Neither the United States Central Command nor the United States Air Force issued an official statement. The cause of the emergency remains unknown.
Read also | A cargo ship caught fire near Qatar after a drone attack
Officials have not released where the plane took off from, where it was headed, or what led to the emergency declaration.
It comes amid tensions that escalated on Friday after a US fighter jet targeted and disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers, saying the vessels had violated Washington’s maritime restrictions on Iranian ports. The move reportedly prompted retaliatory attacks from Iran.
Read also | Iran wishes Leavitt a baby, says remember the mothers of the Minab victims
A senior Iranian military official told local media that the country’s naval forces had “responded to ceasefire violations and US terrorism with strikes”, adding that hostilities had since ended.
The confrontation followed another bout of unrest overnight between Thursday and Friday in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route. Iran is seeking greater control over the passage to impose transit fees on foreign vessels and strengthen its economic influence over the United States and its allies.
Iran presents response to US peace proposal via Islamabad: state media
Iran on Sunday communicated its response to a US proposal aimed at reducing regional tensions, relaying the message through Islamabad, according to Iranian state media.
The development followed repeated statements by a State Department spokesman that Tehran would share its “opinions and considerations” regarding the US initiative once it completes a comprehensive “review and final conclusions.”
Read also | Iran war causes shortage of world’s most used chemical
“Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran sent its response through Pakistani mediators to the latest text proposed by the United States to end the war,” state news agency IRNA said.
He also outlined the immediate purpose of the diplomatic initiative, saying: “The proposed plan will focus on ending the war in the region at this stage of negotiations.”
Washington officials were awaiting Tehran’s response to a new diplomatic proposal aimed at ending the conflict, reopening commercial sea routes through key waterways and halting Iran’s nuclear program.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported last Sunday that details had emerged of a 14-point plan drawn up by Tehran as part of ongoing ceasefire talks.
Iran’s proposal is divided into “three main phases,” starting with a “30-day phase,” which Al Jazeera says is intended to turn a temporary “truce” into “a complete end to war.” The plan was presented as Tehran’s response to the US-backed “nine-point peace plan”.
Al Jazeera said the motion calls on Washington to “lift sanctions against Iran” and end the “blockade of Iranian ports”. It also reportedly demands that the United States “withdraw American forces from the region” and “end all hostilities,” including an end to “Israel’s war in Lebanon.”
The diplomatic initiative comes at a time of rising regional tensions. Tehran recently warned Washington that it would no longer maintain its policy of strategic restraint in response to the attacks. The warning followed reports from Gulf countries of renewed maritime and territorial incidents, including an attack on a Qatar-bound cargo vessel.
Separately, the United Arab Emirates accused Iran of carrying out an attack on its territory. If confirmed, it would be only the second “alleged strike” on the Gulf states since the “month-old ceasefire” began.
