On the 35th day of the conflict with the United States and Israel, Iran has claimed a major defensive victory. On Friday (April 3), Tehran reportedly launched a massive retaliatory strike against US-Israeli air forces that entered its airspace and conducted maneuvers near its territorial waters.
The Iranian Armed Forces claim to have downed at least two warplanes and three drones belonging to the US and Israel. Iranian media outlets have labeled the event as a "Black Day for the US-Israeli Air Force."
In a formal statement released Saturday (April 4), the Public Relations wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) detailed several successful defense operations carried out across various provinces.
The IRGC stated that its Aerospace Defense Force successfully detected and intercepted two long-range cruise missiles over the Khomein and Zanjan regions, destroying them mid-air.
Additionally, two sophisticated US "MQ-9 Reaper" attack drones were reportedly shot down while flying over sensitive airspace in Isfahan, and an Israeli "Hermes" drone was destroyed near the coastal area of Bushehr.
The IRGC further emphasized that every defensive operation was completed with 100% success using Iran's newly developed, advanced indigenous air defense systems.
In the most significant claim of the day, the IRGC’s Aerospace Defense Force asserted it shot down an advanced US fighter jet in central Iran. Iranian forces are currently conducting a search operation in a mountainous region for the pilot. Preliminary reports suggest the pilot may have been unable to eject before the crash.
Simultaneously, the regular Iranian Army reported another major success, claiming its integrated air defense system downed a heavy US "A-10 Warthog" ground-attack aircraft over southern waters near the Strait of Hormuz. The Army stated the aircraft was struck immediately upon detection and crashed into the Persian Gulf.
For over a month, the US and Israel have been conducting a series of intense joint airstrikes on Iranian territory in a bid to establish military dominance in the Middle East.
The indiscriminate bombardment by Tel Aviv and Washington has already claimed over a thousand lives, including that of the country's then-Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Despite a 40-day period of national mourning and a significant political vacuum following his death, Iran has continued to offer a fierce and destructive response to the ongoing military aggression.
