On April 3 local time, U.S. President Trump said in an interview that the downing of a U.S. military aircraft would not affect negotiations with Iran.
Trump refused to disclose specific details about ongoing search and rescue operations inside Iran following the downing of the U.S. military aircraft, but expressed dissatisfaction with certain media reports, noting that this was clearly a tense and sensitive military operation. When asked whether the incident would impact talks with Iran, Trump stated it would not.
Two U.S. military aircraft crash within one day
Two U.S. officials confirmed on the 3rd that a U.S. A-10 "Warthog" attack aircraft crashed near the Strait of Hormuz that day, with the pilot successfully rescued.
On the same day, Iran's military public relations department announced that Iran's national integrated air defense network had successfully shot down a U.S. A-10 attack aircraft in the southern waters near the Strait of Hormuz through tracking and monitoring. Iran claimed the aircraft belonged to an "aggressive hostile force."
This marked the second U.S. aircraft crash on the same day. Shortly afterward, another U.S. F-15E fighter jet was shot down inside Iran. U.S. search and rescue planes and helicopters entered Iranian territory, found and rescued one crew member, and were still searching for the second crew member. This aircraft is reportedly the first known U.S. military aircraft lost inside Iran since the U.S.-Israel military action against Iran began.
Two U.S. search and rescue helicopters hit by Iranian fire
A U.S. official revealed that two U.S. helicopters conducting search and rescue operations for the downed U.S. F-15E pilot inside Iran were struck by Iranian fire, resulting in injuries to American personnel aboard. However, both helicopters safely returned to base.
Earlier that day, a U.S. Air Force F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iranian airspace. U.S. search and rescue aircraft and helicopters entered Iranian territory, located and rescued one crew member, and were still searching for the second.
U.S. F-16 fighter makes emergency landing in Saudi Arabia
On April 3 local time, CCTV reporters learned from Iranian sources that a U.S. F-16 fighter jet issued an emergency signal and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
The exact reason for the forced landing remains unclear at present.
Iran refutes claim that air defense systems have been destroyed
On the 3rd, the Central Headquarters of Iran’s Armed Forces, Haftom-e-Anbia, released a statement refuting the U.S. assertion that Iran’s air defense systems had been completely destroyed, and reported updates on the ongoing “Real Commitment-4” military operation.
The statement said Iran’s air defenses shot down a U.S. military aircraft in central airspace. During the 91st wave of attacks, Iran jointly targeted Israeli military bases and defense industry facilities in Yemen, launched strikes against U.S.-Israeli military and infrastructure targets in southern Persian Gulf states, and attacked U.S. cloud infrastructure facilities in the UAE.
During the 92nd wave of attacks, Iran destroyed U.S. naval assembly areas in Kuwait, early warning radars in Bahrain, attacked Israel’s Haifa Air Base, and carried out strikes on more than 50 targets in Tel Aviv and other locations. Additionally, Iran used drones to strike U.S. facilities in Jordan and Kuwait, as well as aluminum plants in Bahrain.
Iran’s air defense forces intercepted multiple cruise missiles and drones across various regions of airspace and shot down an advanced enemy aircraft south of Qeshm Island. Iran emphasized that these military operations will continue.
Iranian Parliament Speaker mocks downed U.S. aircraft
On the 3rd, Iranian Islamic Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted on social media ridiculing the downing of a U.S. fighter jet by Iran.
Ghalibaf remarked that after the enemy boasted of having “defeated Iran 37 times consecutively,” this war—launched by the United States and Israel, which considers itself superior yet lacks any real strategy—has now descended from plotting regime change to simply asking, “Hey! Who can find our pilots?”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Public Relations Department issued a statement saying Iran’s air defense system shot down a U.S. F-35 fighter jet in central Iranian airspace that day. According to U.S. media reports, Iranian media released a photo of a damaged ejection seat lying on the ground. Military analysts concluded based on this image that the aircraft was an F-15E.
Iran offers reward for capturing U.S. pilots alive
According to the Associated Press, a local channel of Iran National Television aired the following statement: “If you capture enemy pilots alive and hand them over to police, there will be a substantial reward.” Furthermore, scrolling text on screen urged the public to “shoot them on sight” and displayed footage circulating online showing alleged U.S. aircraft sightings in the region.
Iran Students News Agency reported that the Deputy Governor of Boyer-Ahmad-Kohgiluyeh Province encouraged local residents to pursue U.S. pilots who had crashed in their area. The provincial governor stated that security and military forces in the region are fully engaged in searching for the U.S. pilots, and that individuals or groups who successfully capture or eliminate enemy personnel would receive special recognition from the provincial government.
Source | CCTV News, Xinhua News Agency
Original: toutiao.com/article/7624650436154262062/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author.