‘Mission failed’: Iran destroys several US aircraft in botched ‘rescue’ bid in Isfahan

The spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters says Iranian forces have managed to destroy two US C-130 transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters, which were conducting a mission to retrieve the pilot of a downed American fighter jet.

“The US Army’s so-called rescue operation, which was planned in the form of a deceive and immediate escape operation under the pretext of rescuing the pilot of its downed aircraft in an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan, was brought to a complete failure by the timing presence of the Iranian armed forces,” Lieutenant-Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari said on Sunday.

He added that during the operation by the Iranian forces, two C-130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters were destroyed.

“It was proved to everyone that the despicable and bankrupt US army is not considered the dominant force against the will of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in this imposed war,” he noted.

“After the proud and triumphant operation, the defeated US president is precipitately seeking to escape a failure through lies and psychological warfare. Like in the past, he continues his false claims and blame game while the reality of the field demonstrates Iran’s upper hand.”

The remarks came after US President Donald Trump claimed in a social media post that his country’s military “got” the pilot during an operation, one day after rescuing another pilot.

However, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) rejected Trump’s claim.

“Following desperate US moves to rescue the pilot of the downed fighter jet and the entry of flying objects to the country’s central parts, the enemy’s flying objects were destroyed and the US once again suffered a humiliating defeat during a joint operation (involving Aerospace, Ground forces as well as public, Basij and police units),” the IRGC’s Public relations Department said.

It also emphasized that the incident resembles that of April 25, 1980, when the US forces entered the city of Tabas to free American hostages held in Iran but were grounded by a major sandstorm.

Additionally on Sunday, two intruding drones, including an MQ-9 and a Hermers-900, were destroyed in the skies over Isfahan Province by Iran’s air defense systems operating under the country’s integrated air defense network.

The criminal US-Israeli aggression on Iran began on February  28 with airstrikes that assassinated senior Iranian officials and commanders.

The Iranian armed forces have responded by launching almost daily missile and drone operations targeting locations in the Israeli-occupied territories as well as US military bases and assets across the region.

They have also shot down several hostile fighter jets, missiles and drones, reflecting Iran's readiness to defend its airspace.

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