Iranian media claims ‘several US aircraft destroyed’ in Isfahan, denies success of pilot rescue operation

Iranian state media has shown wreckage of a US C-130 aircraft that reportedly took part in the rescue of a downed fighter pilot in southern Iran. 

The US said the plane became stuck and had to be destroyed, while Iranian outlets claimed it was hit and destroyed by Iranian forces.

The reports appear to counter the US success in recovering the missing crew member, a mission President Donald Trump described as involving “dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons.” Trump said the airman “sustained injuries, but he will be just fine.” Analysts noted the rescue prevented the airman from becoming a “bargaining chip” for Tehran.

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency cited the military headquarters, claiming “several enemy American aircraft in the southern Isfahan region were destroyed by the warriors of Islam, and the pilot rescue operation failed.”

The report mentioned that two Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 transport aircraft were hit and burning. Several Iranian outlets published videos showing smoking wreckage, though CNN could not verify their authenticity.

Tasnim also accused Trump of trying to “cover up his heavy defeat” by tweeting about the special operation. Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, shared one of the images, saying “if the United States gets three more victories like this, it will be utterly ruined.”

The US confirmed that both crew members of the F-15E Strike Eagle were rescued after a multi-day operation. Trump called it “one of the most daring search and rescue operations in US history,” adding the second airman was found behind enemy lines with support from dozens of aircraft and special forces.

“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour,” he said.

--Agencies