Iran has claimed that its air defense forces shot down two Israeli F-35 fighter jets and several drones, also capturing a female Israeli pilot. This report, first shared by semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim and quoted by Xinhua, has not been officially confirmed by the Iranian army.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strongly denied these claims. IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee called the allegations “completely baseless.”
These developments come amid sharply rising tensions after Israel launched large airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites. Iran’s state-run Press TV also reported that Iranian defenses downed an Israeli drone near the Fordow nuclear facility, near Qom.
On Friday, Israel targeted Tehran and other cities across Iran. Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s UN envoy, said at least 78 people died in the Israeli attacks, with over 320 injured, most of them civilians.
Several top Iranian military leaders were reportedly killed, including Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, IRGC Chief Commander Hossein Salami, and others.
In retaliation, Israel reported that Iran fired nearly 100 missiles toward central and northern Israel in two major attacks. These caused heavy damage and left 41 people injured, with two in critical condition.
The situation remains highly volatile, raising fears of further escalation in the region.
