According to reports, the United States destroyed four of its own aircraft on Iranian soil after a search and rescue operation linked to the rescue of the crew of a downed F-15E fighter jet.
According to the New York Times, two planes HC-130J Combat King II And two helicopters were blown up on the ground to prevent their capture by Iranian forces.
According to the report, the decision was made after the evacuation of the second crew member from the fighter plane. According to the claim, the rescue aircraft landed on an improvised refueling route inside Iran, but were unable to leave the country for reasons that have not yet been officially clarified.
Faced with the risk of losing the equipment, according to reports, the American forces chose to neutralize it on the spot. This step emphasizes the level of complexity of the mission and raises further questions about what happened during the operation in Iranian territory.
Also according to the NYT, the United States sent three additional HC-130J Combat King II aircraft to continue the search and rescue operation, even after the loss of the aircraft used in the first phase of the operation. In one of the photos mentioned in the report, two planes are seen parked side by side shortly before the explosion.
The event took on a new dimension after information published on NBC News. According to sources cited by the network, two US military UH-60 helicopters were hit by Iranian fire during the rescue mission of the crew member of F-15E. This information suggests that the operation encountered direct resistance on the ground, which further increased the tension surrounding the operation.
So far, the American authorities have not provided a detailed explanation about what prevented the rescue of the aircraft, nor about the exact conditions of the improvised runway used in the operation. Additionally, full official details on the extent of the damage to the UH-60 helicopters mentioned in NBC News have not been released.
The operation is already described as one of the most sensitive in the conflict, both due to the high level of risk involved and due to the extreme decision to destroy their own air assets on enemy soil to prevent their capture.
Source and photos: USAF | NYT. This content is generated with the help of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.
