Iran’s armed forces have claimed that on Friday alone, they shot down at least two US and Israeli warplanes, two cruise missiles, and three drones. They referred to the incident as “a black day for the US and Israeli air forces.”
In a statement released on Saturday, the IRGC announced that their Aerospace Defense Force successfully intercepted multiple targets in various provinces across the country.
The statement reported that two cruise missiles were destroyed in the airspace of Khomeini and Zanjan. Simultaneously, two MQ-9 attack drones were shot down in the skies over Isfahan, and a Hermes drone was downed in the Bushehr region.
The IRGC claimed that these operations were conducted using their newly advanced air defense systems, which operate under the country’s integrated defense network.
It was also stated that in a separate significant operation on the same day, a sophisticated enemy warplane was shot down in the central airspace of the country. The pilot is believed not to have ejected safely, and a search operation is underway for them.
Meanwhile, the Iranian army reported that a US A-10 Warthog warplane was shot down in the skies adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz in the southern region. It was claimed that the aircraft crashed into the waters of the Persian Gulf after being targeted.
The IRGC further warned that Iran’s air defense system is becoming increasingly powerful in the ongoing conflict with the US-Israel coalition. The statement read, “Due to the continuous surveillance and development of our defense system, Iran’s airspace will become increasingly unsafe for aggressive powers’ warplanes.”
Iran launched ‘Operation True Promise 4’ on February 28, in response to alleged attacks by the US-Israel coalition. As part of this, the IRGC and the Iranian army reportedly carried out multiple retaliatory strikes on Friday.
According to Iran’s claims, they have so far conducted 93 missile and drone attacks, targeting Israeli military installations and US bases and assets spread across West Asia.
Additionally, on March 19, Iran claimed to have intercepted an F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet for the first time, which sparked widespread international discussion.
The IRGC statement also mentioned the interception of several other US warplanes—such as F-15, F-16, and F-18—over the past month. Concurrently, they stated that multiple MQ-9 Reaper drones, valued at 30 million dollars, were also destroyed.
According to the latest count, Iran’s joint air defense network has claimed to have shot down more than 150 drones so far, as stated by the IRGC.
Source: presstv.