The United States reportedly destroyed four of its military aircraft in Iranian territory following a search-and-rescue operation related to the rescue of the crew of a downed F-15E fighter jet.
According to The New York Times, to prevent capture by Iranian forces,HC-130J Combat King II Two planes and two helicopters were reportedly blown up on the ground.
The decision was reportedly made after the fighter jet’s second crew member was evacuated. The rescue plane landed on an improvised refueling airstrip in Iran, but was unable to leave the country for reasons not yet officially disclosed.
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Faced with the risk of losing the equipment, the U.S. military appears to have made the decision to render it unusable on the spot. The move highlights the complexity of the mission and raises new questions about what happened during the operation inside Iranian territory.
According to the NYT, the US sent three more HC-130J Combat King II aircraft to sustain search and rescue operations after losing the aircraft deployed during the initial response phase. In one of the images mentioned in the report, two aircraft can be seen parked side by side just before the explosion.
The incident took on a new dimension with information reported by NBC News. According to sources cited by the station, two U.S. military UH-60 helicoptersF-15EThe plane was reportedly attacked by Iranian forces during a mission to rescue the crew. This information indicates that the operation may have faced direct resistance on the ground, further escalating tensions surrounding the mission.
At this time, U.S. authorities have not provided a detailed explanation of why the aircraft could not be removed or the exact status of the improvised runway used in the mission. Full official information about the extent of the damage sustained by the UH-60 mentioned by NBC News has not yet been released.
The operation is already considered one of the most sensitive missions of the conflict, not only because of the risks involved, but also because of the extreme decision taken to destroy military air assets in enemy territory to avoid capture.
Source/Image: USAF | NYT. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
