Iran claims air superiority after downing US plane: A 'humiliating' moment for US and Israel, Tehran says
Iran's military vowed on Saturday to regain “full control” of the country's airspace after a US fighter jet was shot down in an incident that Tehran described as a “humiliating” moment for the United States.
A spokesman for the General Staff of Iran's armed forces described the downing as “a humiliating black Friday for the US and Israel”.
According to some sources, one of the two crew members was saved. The status of the other serviceman is unknown, and the United States has launched an extensive search and rescue operation.
“The steadfast and courageous fighters of Islam managed, with power, speed and precision, to devastatingly engage enemy fighter jets, helicopters, drones and aircraft and shoot down a significant number of them,” the spokesman said.
About half of Iran's missile launchers are still intact despite daily U.S. and Israeli bombardment, according to recent U.S. intelligence assessments, three sources told CNN.
Tehran claims it has “modern air defense systems built by the young and proud scientists of this country”.
The Trump administration has previously asserted that it has full control over Iran's airspace, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth describing it as “uncontested airspace” last month.
