Kamal Ghorui
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Saturday that it had struck an Israeli F-16 fighter jet over central Iran, though the Israeli military said only that one of its aircraft had come under surface-to-air missile fire during operations and insisted there was no damage.The competing claims emerged as the conflict triggered by the US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 continues to widen across the Middle East.As per news agency AFP, the Guards said on their Sepah News website, “An F-16 hostile enemy fighter jet belonging to the Zionist regime was struck at 3:45 am in central Iran.”
Israel confirms missile launch but denies any damage
The Israeli military did not directly confirm the loss or damage of an F-16, but acknowledged that one of its aircraft had been targeted during an operation inside Iran.The Israeli military said a surface-to-air missile had been launched at an Israeli aircraft during “an operational activity” in Iran.It added that “no damage was caused to the aircraft,” according to AFP.At this stage, it remains unclear whether the Israeli statement and the IRGC’s claim refer to the same incident, as Israel did not specify the type of aircraft involved.
Iranian media shows smoke in sky, but no verification
Iranian media also circulated an image purportedly showing smoke in the sky and claimed that another aircraft had been targeted, though no further details were provided.According to AFP, the reports did not identify the type of the second aircraft or whether it belonged to Israel or the United States.
Claim comes days after Iran’s F-35 assertion
Saturday’s announcement follows another high-profile Iranian claim earlier this week involving a US aircraft.The IRGC had said days earlier that a US F-35 fighter jet was “hit and seriously damaged in the skies of central Iran.”As per a CNN report, which cited two sources familiar with the matter as saying that a US F-35 made an emergency landing at a US air base in the Middle East after being struck by what was believed to be Iranian fire.For now, the key fact is that Iran says it struck an Israeli F-16, while Israel confirms missile fire but denies any damage.There is no independent confirmation yet that the aircraft was actually hit in a way that caused operational damage, and no evidence has emerged publicly of a crash, pilot ejection or wreckage.
