Iran claimed Sunday that its air defense systems downed an F-15 fighter jet near Hormuz Island in the country’s south.
The semi-official ISNA news agency, citing a statement from Iran’s Joint Air Defense Command, said the warplane was intercepted over the country’s southern coast and near Hormuz Island.
The statement said the aircraft had fired a missile before being targeted by Iranian air defense systems.
There was no immediate confirmation from other sources, and no details were provided on the fate of the pilot or the wreckage.
Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.
