Regional
Iran claims it shot down US C-130 support aircraft in Isfahan
State-run Press TV shared images on Telegram purportedly showing wreckage from the downed plane.
Iran on Sunday claimed that it successfully shot down a US C-130 support aircraft in the southern region of Isfahan. According to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the plane was destroyed “by heavy fire from a police special forces unit.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated in a report carried by the state news agency IRNA that “joint operations involving the Aerospace Force, ground units, popular and Basij forces, law enforcement, and the Army successfully destroyed the enemy aircraft.”
State-run Press TV shared images on Telegram purportedly showing wreckage from the downed plane.
Some initial reports circulating on US social media claimed that, while rescuing the second crew member of an F-15 fighter jet previously downed over Iran, US forces may have destroyed their own plane to prevent it from falling into Iranian hands.
No official response has yet been provided by the United States regarding the Iranian claims.
The incident comes amid escalating regional tensions following the US and Israel’s joint offensive on Iran on February 28, which has resulted in more than 1,340 fatalities, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
In retaliation, Iran has launched drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as US-affiliated locations in Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries. Tehran has also restricted the movement of ships through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.