The United States reportedly destroyed four of its own aircraft in Iran following a search-and-rescue operation related to the rescue of a downed F-15E fighter jet crew.
According to the New York Times, two aircraftHC-130J Combat King IIThe plane and two helicopters were blown up on the ground to avoid falling into the hands of Iranian forces.
The report pointed out that the decision was made after the second crew member of the fighter jet was evacuated. The rescue aircraft reportedly landed on a makeshift refueling runway in Iran but was unable to leave the country for reasons that have not yet been officially explained.
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Faced with the risk of possible loss of equipment, U.S. military personnel reportedly chose to destroy and disable it on site. This approach highlights the complexity of the mission and raises more questions about what exactly happened during this operation in Iran.
NYT also pointed out that the United States sent three more HC-130J Combat King IIs to maintain search and rescue operations, even after the aircraft invested in the initial stage were lost. An image mentioned in the report showed two planes parked side by side shortly before the explosion.
After NBC News released relevant information, new developments emerged in this incident. According to sources cited by the TV station, two US military UH-60 military helicopters were conducting the rescue operation.F-15EThe crew was hit by Iranian fire during their mission. The news suggests the operation may encounter direct resistance on the ground, further raising tensions surrounding the mission.
So far, U.S. officials have not detailed what exactly prevented these aircraft from evacuating, nor have they explained the specific conditions of the temporary runway used in the mission. In addition, the extent of damage to the UH-60 mentioned by NBC News has not yet been released with complete official details.
The operation has been considered one of the most sensitive missions in the conflict, not only because of the extremely high risks involved, but also because of the extreme decision the U.S. made to destroy its own equipment in hostile territory to avoid the capture of aviation assets.
Source and image: USAF | NYT. The content of this article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
