Iran says its air defenses remain intact, announcing the destruction of advanced US aircraft and challenging Washington’s claims of air superiority.
Key Developments
- IRGC says it downed multiple US fighter jets, including a second F-35.
- Aircraft reportedly destroyed in central Iran and near Qeshm Island.
- Iran rejects US claims of neutralizing its air defenses.
IRGC Announces Downing of F-35, Challenges US Claims
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Friday that Iranian air defenses have shot down multiple advanced US fighter jets, including a stealth F-35, in what it described as a direct response to Washington’s claims of air superiority.
In a statement, the IRGC said its “newly developed and advanced air defenses” successfully intercepted an F-35 fighter jet in central Iran.
According to the statement, “the fighter jet was completely destroyed and crashed.”
The IRGC added that the aircraft belonged to the Lakenheath squadron, noting that the severity of the explosion left the fate of the pilot unknown.
“Due to the complete disintegration of the aircraft, the fate of the pilot remains unknown,” the statement read.
The announcement was echoed by Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari, who confirmed that the aircraft had been targeted by a modern air defense system belonging to the IRGC Aerospace Force.
“This fighter jet was shot down and completely destroyed,” he said, adding that it marked the second F-35 downed since the start of the war.
Iranian officials noted that this is not the first such incident. The IRGC had previously announced the targeting of an F-35 in March, while US reporting later acknowledged that an F-35 had made an emergency landing after sustaining damage.
⚡️🚨 IRGC said an advanced enemy fighter jet was shot down near Qeshm Island, following a failed attempt to penetrate Iran’s air defenses.
🔹 According to the statement, the aircraft was intercepted by an advanced air defense system linked to Iran’s integrated network in the… pic.twitter.com/LyEoHUJWS5
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 2, 2026
Second Aircraft Downed Near Qeshm
Earlier, the IRGC announced that another advanced enemy fighter jet had been intercepted south of Qeshm Island.
The statement directly referenced US President Donald Trump’s earlier claims:
“Following the false claim of the liar US President regarding the complete destruction of the IRGC’s air defense, moments ago an advanced enemy fighter jet was hit in the south of Qeshm Island by the modern advanced air defense system of the IRGC Navy,” it read.
The statement added that the aircraft crashed into the Gulf, saying: “The fighter jet crashed between Hengam Island and Qeshm Island and sank into the depths of the Persian Gulf waters.”
Iranian officials framed the incidents as evidence that their air defense systems remain operational and capable of engaging advanced aircraft.
According to Iranian statements, the total number of US aircraft losses since the start of the war includes two F-35 fighter jets, one F-18, two F-16s, and four F-15s
US officials, however, have only confirmed limited losses, including three F-15s and one KC-135 tanker, while attributing some incidents to accidents or technical failures.
Iranian sources accused Washington of attempting to conceal the scale of its losses, stating that such incidents have been portrayed as “friendly fire” or “accidents.”
(PC, Iranian media, IRGC Statement, Al Mayadeen)
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