US Black Day: Iran Downs 2 Fighter Jets, 2 Missiles, 3 Drones 

By Staff, Agencies 

Iranian armed forces announced that its air defense forces downed at least two fighter jets and five drones and missiles on Friday, describing it as a "black day" for the American and “Israeli” air forces.

In a statement released Saturday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards [IRG] public relations wing detailed a series of successful interceptions across multiple Iranian provinces.

The IRG's Aerospace Defense Force fighters successfully hunted and destroyed two cruise missiles in the skies of Khomein and Zanjan, according to the statement.

Additionally, two MQ-9 attack drones were shot down in the skies of Isfahan, and one Hermes drone was destroyed in the skies of Bushehr.

The IRG said these interceptions were carried out using its new advanced air defense system, operating under the control of the country's integrated air defense network.

In a separate and particularly significant engagement, the IRG's Aerospace Defense Force successfully destroyed an advanced enemy fighter jet in central Iran.

The hunt for the missing pilot continues with reports that he failed to eject safely.

Also on Friday, Iran's Army announced that the Islamic Republic's integrated air defense network downed an American A-10 Warthog warplane over the country's southern waters near the Strait of Hormuz.

The Army stated that the targeted aircraft "was tracked and engaged by the Army Air Defense Force's systems, and subsequently crashed into the waters of the Gulf."

The IRG statement warned that Iran's air defenses are becoming increasingly formidable as the war imposed on the Islamic Republic by the American-"Israeli" coalition continues.

"With the continued innovative, sustained, and precise monitoring by Iran's air defense heroes, the skies of Iran will become increasingly unsafe for the fighter jets of the aggressor enemy," the statement read.

Iranian armed forces continue to carry out retaliatory military operations against the United States and the “Israeli” in response to the aggression against the country, particularly the civilian infrastructure in different provinces.

For nearly two decades, the F-35 program represented the zenith of US military hegemony, a multi-trillion-dollar, fifth-generation platform designed to penetrate the world’s most sophisticated air defenses with impunity.

Other jets in the F-family have also been engaged and struck over the past month, including several F-15s, F-16s, and F-18s, intercepted by Iran’s advanced integrated air defense systems, which experts note have improved significantly since the 12-day war.

Iranian defenses have also destroyed more than a dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones, valued at roughly $30 million each and forming the backbone of US unmanned surveillance and strike operations.

As of Friday, the IRG announced that the total number of drones downed by the Joint Air Defense Headquarters’ integrated network has crossed 150.