The United States has rejected Iran’s claim that it intercepted and hit a US F-15 fighter jet near the island of Hormuz, calling the reports “false” and dismissing them as rumours.
In a post on X, US Central Command said: “🚫 FALSE: Rumors claim the Iranian regime recently shot down a US F-15 over Iran. ✅ TRUE: US forces flew more than 8,000 sorties during Operation Epic Fury. Iran did not shoot down any US fighter jets.”
Iran claims it was intercepted near Hormuz
Iran earlier said its air defense systems had intercepted and targeted a US F-15 jet near the island of Hormuz.
after allegedly violating Iranian airspace.
According to a post by Iran’s consulate in Mumbai, the plane was “intercepted and targeted by the army’s air defense system using a surface-to-air missile” over the southern coastal areas.
However, no details of damage to the aircraft or any casualties have emerged.
Conflict stories in the midst of an ongoing conflict
The starkly divergent accounts come amid an ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, with both sides issuing competing claims of air strikes.
Previous incident involving the F-35
In a separate development, the F-35 Lightning II was recently forced to make an emergency landing after sustaining damage during a combat mission over Iran.
Captain Tim Hawkins confirmed the incident, saying: “The aircraft landed safely and the pilot is in a stable condition. This incident is under investigation.”
He added that the jet was “flying on a combat mission over Iran” when it was damaged.
More air losses reported
The US military also reported other air incidents during the conflict. Three F-15 Eagles were previously lost to friendly fire involving Kuwaiti air defenses, although all crew ejected safely.
Separately, a KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq last week. US officials said the crash was not caused by enemy or friendly fire, but all six crew members on board were killed.
