Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed it successfully shot down an Israeli F-16 fighter jet within Iran’s central airspace, while the Israeli military has denied that the aircraft was damaged.
According to Iranian media, an IRGC statement said the incident occurred at 3:45am local time on Friday, when an Israeli-operated F-16 Fighting Falcon was targeted over central Iran.
The statement said the jet was brought down using the IRGC Aerospace Force’s advanced air defence systems. It added that this marked the third US-made F-16 aircraft targeted by Iran’s air defence units.
Iranian officials further claimed that more than 200 hostile aerial targets, including drones, cruise missiles, refueling aircraft and advanced fighter jets, have been engaged during the first three weeks of the conflict.
The IRGC said these operations demonstrate a significant improvement in Iran’s aerial surveillance and defence capabilities, asserting that the country can now effectively counter aggression not only within its own airspace but across the wider region.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military confirmed that one of its fighter jets had come under fire from air defence systems while operating in Iranian airspace.
However, it said the pilot detected the threat in time, the aircraft was not hit, and the mission was completed successfully.
