ABNA24 - The American news agency Associated Press (AP) described the recent downing of U.S. fighter jets by Iran as an unprecedented event, stating it demonstrates the Iranian Armed Forces' resilient air defense capabilities despite claims made by U.S. officials.
The Associated Press highlighted the shock dealt to the U.S. military within just 24 hours, noting that the downing of two American military aircraft by Iran is a "very rare" attack that has not been seen in over 20 years. The report suggests that despite the strikes carried out during the ongoing U.S.-Israeli "imposed war" against Iran's military infrastructure, Tehran maintains its retaliatory capacity—contrary to President Donald Trump's recent claim that Iran had been "completely destroyed."
Referring to Friday's strikes against several hostile U.S. aircraft, including fighters, drones, and helicopters, AP reported: "Iran downed two U.S. military aircraft in two separate attacks on Friday; one pilot reportedly survived, and at least one other is missing. This represents a significant escalation since the conflict began nearly five weeks ago." The report noted this is the first time U.S. jets have been downed in this conflict, occurring just two days after Trump declared in a national address that the U.S. had "defeated and completely destroyed Iran."
"The last time a U.S. fighter was downed in combat was an A-10 Thunderbolt II during the 2003 invasion of Iraq," said retired Air Force Brigadier General Houston Cantwell, a former F-16 pilot and senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. He described the fact that it hadn't happened until now as an "absolute miracle," noting that combat missions face fire every day.
The AP report further commented: "After more than a month of heavy U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, the Iranian Armed Forces remain a formidable adversary. Their continuous stream of attacks on Israel and [U.S. bases] in Gulf Arab states has caused regional instability and global economic shocks."
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), noted that regarding U.S. control of Iranian airspace, there remains a distinction between air superiority and air supremacy. "An inactive defense system does not mean a destroyed defense system. We should not be shocked that they are still fighting," he said.
The report also quoted Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), regarding the political fallout: "You have a public in the U.S. accustomed to bloodless wars. A large portion of the country does not support the war, so for them, any casualty is unacceptable."
The downing of the U.S. jets occurred amidst illegal strikes by the U.S. and the Zionist regime against Iran's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. In response, Iran carried out "Operation True Promise 4," targeting U.S. bases and interests in West Asia, as well as specific targets in the occupied territories, with missile and drone strikes that caused significant damage to enemy military infrastructure.
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