05.04.2026 23:31
Iran announced that the US transport planes that came to rescue the pilot of the downed US F-15E fighter jet were "shot down by Iranian air defense and that the US bombed its own troops." US officials, on the other hand, stated that they destroyed helicopters and two MC-130J C-130 aircraft that were part of the rescue operation.
The spokesperson of the Hatemül Enbiya Central Headquarters, Colonel Ibrahim Zulfikari, which is the unit of the Iranian Armed Forces conducting the war, made statements regarding the US transport planes that were allegedly hit by Iran.
"WE SHOT DOWN THE PLANES, THE US BOMBED ITS OWN SOLDIERS"
According to the news based on the statement of the Hatemül Enbiya Central Headquarters, Zulfikari said, "US planes were shot down by Iranian air defense, and the US bombed its own soldiers."
Zulfikari stated, "US President Donald Trump is in a difficult situation, and the defeat of the US military cannot be compensated by propaganda efforts."
THE US CONFIRMED IRAN'S CLAIM
US officials speaking to CNS News also stated that the helicopters were used to transport pilots and crew and were destroyed by the US military at the end of the operation. The report also mentioned that two MC-130J C-130 planes involved in the rescue mission were stranded inside Iran during the operation, and US forces intentionally destroyed the planes to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands.
"DESTROYED DUE TO MECHANICAL ISSUES"
Officials noted that the US had to send three additional backup planes to Iran to extract the pilot and rescue teams. According to one of the officials, two MC-130J C-130 planes were also destroyed due to mechanical issues; these planes were designed for special operations missions.
An A-10 Warthog aircraft belonging to the US, which provided close air support for the rescue mission on Friday, was hit by Iranian fire. The pilot managed to safely eject using the ejection seat before the plane crashed and returned to Kuwait. On the same day, it was revealed that a US F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran; while one of the pilots was rescued, a desperate search and rescue operation was ongoing for the second crew member of the two-person aircraft.
US President Donald Trump announced in a social media post early in the morning that the operation was "one of the bravest Search and Rescue Operations in US history," stating that the second pilot was also rescued.
Iranian state media today published photos of the wreckage of a burned American plane, drawing attention to the fact that three American planes were shot down within three days.
THE US HAD CONDUCTED AN OPERATION TO RESCUE THE PILOTS
The US had conducted an operation to rescue the lost second pilot of the F-15E fighter jet belonging to the US that was shot down in Iran.
Trump had announced that they had also rescued the second pilot of the F-15E fighter jet shot down on April 3 in Iran.
Zulfikari stated regarding the operation conducted by the US to find the lost pilot, "The attempt to rescue the pilot was unsuccessful."