Iran claims to have shot down more US aircraft as Trump hails 'miraculous' rescue mission

Iran has released unverified pictures allegedly showing the burnt-out wreckage of an aircraft. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Easter Sunday a US aircraft had been destroyed.

Iran had already claimed early on Sunday to have downed a total of three American military aircraft in recent hours – a C-130 refuelling plane and two Blackhawk helicopters. It was not immediately clear whether the two allegations were linked, nor whether these aircraft had been part of the “miraculous” rescue mission of the F-15 pilot downed in Iran on Friday. Iran’s latest claim has not yet been confirmed by the US. President Trump has claimed there were no American casualties in the operation.

On Sunday, Iran’s state TV aired a video showing thick black smoke rising into the air, claiming that they had shot down an American transport plane and two helicopters that were part of the rescue operation. However, a regional intelligence official briefed on the mission told The Associated Press that the U.S. military blew up two transport planes due to a technical malfunction, forcing it to bring in additional aircraft to complete the rescue. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the covert mission.

Unverified claims from Iran’s Tasnim news agency quoting the spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters said the US aircrafts were downed in southern Isfahan, thwarting an attempted mission to rescue a downed American fighter pilot.

According to the same spokesman, the incident followed desperate efforts by US forces to infiltrate central Iran and extract the pilot. A joint operation involving the aerospace and ground forces, volunteer Basij units, and law enforcement servicemen successfully intercepted and neutralized the incoming aircraft, Iran also claimed.

These claims came after Mr Trump said the missing airman was rescued in an operation that involved dozens of aircraft. The missing crew member was on board a F-15 jet, which was shot down on Friday by Iranian forces. One service member was rescued within a few hours of the incident, while a search operation for the second continued throughout Friday and Saturday.

The US President said the pilot “sustained injuries, but he will be just fine”. In the triumphant message that followed the succesfull operation, he also said this was “the first time in military memory that two U.S. pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in enemy territory”.