TEHRAN — Iran’s military command announced on Sunday that a United States rescue mission aimed at recovering the pilot of a downed F-15E fighter-bomber has ended in failure, with Iranian air defences shooting down two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 military transport aircraft in the south of Isfahan province.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Khatam Al-Anbiya central headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces, confirmed the development in a statement carried by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the country’s state-run broadcaster. “The enemy’s efforts to rescue the pilot of the downed plane have failed. In the south of Isfahan, enemy air targets were shot down, including two Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 military transport aircraft — they are now on fire,” Zolfaghari declared.
The downed aircraft at the centre of the rescue attempt is believed to be an F-15E Strike Eagle, a twin-seat fighter-bomber operated by the United States Air Force. Iranian air defences are reported to have intercepted and destroyed the aircraft, prompting the crew to eject. The Tasnim News Agency, citing military sources, had previously reported that Iranian forces may have captured at least one of the American airmen following the ejection.
The failed rescue operation marks a significant escalation in what has become an active aerial confrontation between US and Israeli forces and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The loss of two Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 transport in a single engagement represents a substantial tactical setback for Washington, underscoring the operational reach and effectiveness of Iran’s integrated air defence network over its own sovereign territory.
The incident south of Isfahan — a strategically sensitive region home to key Iranian military and nuclear-adjacent infrastructure — signals that Tehran retains both the capability and the political will to contest foreign military incursions at considerable cost to the intervening party. The broader implications for regional security and the trajectory of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran remain under close international scrutiny.
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