US-Iran War: The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has now completed one month as of March 29, with no clear signs of de-escalation. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for striking a US F-16 Fighting Falcon and an MQ-9 Reaper drone within the country's southern airspace.
The IRGC asserted that it had hit an American F-16 fighter jet over southern Iran, a development that could represent a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict with the United States.
Throughout the course of the war, Tehran has claimed to have downed or struck numerous high-value US and Israeli aircraft. However, only some of these incidents have been partially verified by outside reports, with many remaining unverified or disputed.
Some of the most prominent claims involve F-16s, F-15s, F-35 stealth fighters, and aerial refuelling aircraft.
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Iranian military-linked outlets have frequently stated that their air defence systems have struck US and Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighter jets during missions either within or near Iranian airspace. However, both Israel and the US have either denied these claims outright or asserted that the aircraft completed their missions safely.
Iran also asserted that it had struck a US F-35 stealth fighter, one of the most advanced combat aircraft in the world. While Iranian outlets described this as a breakthrough, external reporting suggested that the aircraft might have been damaged and forced to make an emergency landing, rather than being fully shot down. As of yet, no official confirmation from the US regarding the downing has been issued, as reported by News 18.
In the most recent claim, according to an IRGC-linked statement, the aircraft was struck south of Fars province, with Iranian forces claiming that the attack was carried out by their air defence systems.
The IRGC announced the incident through a statement on its official news outlet, Sepah News. It said that the US fighter jet and drone were hit during a joint retaliatory missile and drone operation conducted by its Navy and Aerospace Division, targeting heavy industries belonging to both the United States and Israel, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
The statement further noted that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) had also confirmed the targeting of its F-16 Fighting Falcon.
In a post on the social media platform X, CENTCOM stated, "A US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon lands at a base in the Middle East after a combat flight in support of Operation Epic Fury."
Additionally, the IRGC reported on Saturday that it had destroyed a Ukrainian anti-drone equipment depot in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which was said to be assisting US forces.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Iran's primary military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, stated that a warehouse in Dubai containing Ukrainian anti-drone systems and housing 21 Ukrainians had been targeted and destroyed in a joint operation by the IRGC's Air Force and Navy.
The Middle East conflict started following the killing of 86-year-old Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the US and Israel, after which Iran, in its retaliation, targeted Israeli and US assets in several Gulf countries and Israel, causing disruption in the waterway and affecting international energy markets and global economic stability since February 28.