Iran announced on Sunday that its armed forces shot down an enemy F-15 fighter jet in the skies over the country’s southern coast. According to Iranian state media reports, the Joint Air Defense Command intercepted and fired surface-to-air missiles at an F-15 fighter jet near Hormuz Island.
“A few hours ago, an enemy F-15 fighter jet was intercepted and launched by a missile in the sky over the southern coast of the country and around the island of Hormuz and was targeted by the army’s ground-based air defense systems,” the statement said.
An Iranian military statement added that investigations are underway to learn the fate of the F-15.
Iran shares video of US F-15 downing
Iranian media also shared an alleged video of the downing of an F-15 fighter jet.
The US has not yet commented on Iran’s claims. In addition to the US, other Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar, have F-15s in their fleets.
If confirmed, it would be the fourth F-15 the US has lost since the war with Iran began on February 28. Earlier this month, three US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses over Kuwait.
Iran attacked the American F-35 Lightning II
Earlier on Thursday, Iran also claimed to have hit the US F-35 Lightning II, one of America’s most valuable aircraft and the backbone of the US’s fifth-generation combat capability.
It was the first time in history that an F-35 was hit by enemy fire in combat.
The IRGC noted that the interception followed the successful downing of more than 125 US-Israeli drones by Iranian defense systems, signaling significant and expedient upgrades in the country’s integrated air defense network.
While the IRGC initially indicated a high probability of a crash, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the aircraft had been hit but managed to make a safe emergency landing at a regional base.
