An Israeli F-35 shot down an Iranian passenger plane, attacking the Islamic Republic
An Israeli warplane shot down an Iranian drone in the biggest show of war as the Islamic Republic continued its five-day bombing campaign in “Operation Epic Fury.”
An F-35I fighter jet known as “Adir,” which means “Mighty” in Hebrew,” collided with an Iranian Air Force YAK-130 fighter jet over Tehran, Israeli military officials confirmed Wednesday.
It marked the first firing of the F-35I “Aidr” fighter jet in history, according to the Israeli Defense Forces.
The last time an Israeli warplane hit another plane in a manned air-to-air combat was on November 24, 1985, during the “Battle of the Camps” in Lebanon, when an IAF F-15 downed two Syrian MiG-23 fighters, the Times of Israel reported.
Earlier, Israel confirmed that “extensive” strikes were ongoing in Tehran, and other cities were also bombed as part of joint Israeli-US operations.
The forces targeted command centers used by the Iranian military overnight, according to CNN.
Israeli forces targeted sites linked to the Basij – the Iranian military wing – and hit control centers by dropping large amounts of weapons.
The Israeli military is reportedly preparing for a military operation that began weeks ago, but there is little chance of boots on the ground.
“We have been preparing for weeks,” Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told reporters.
Shoshani described the boots-on-the-ground idea as “not a viable idea right now.”
The military strike comes after an Iranian drone was reported to have attacked the US embassy in Riyadh on Monday.
A CIA station was the target, two sources told The Washington Post.
The US and Saudi governments have both confirmed that the embassy was targeted, but neither has spoken about a CIA strike.
Embassy staff were told to shelter in place, and the embassy suffered “structural damage,” according to the State Department memo.
The US Embassy in Dubai was attacked by a drone, which started a fire in the parking lot.
No injuries were reported and the fire was contained, Dubai government officials confirmed.
More than 50,000 American soldiers have been deployed as part of the US’s Operation Epic Fury, which has destroyed 2,000 targets, according to US Navy Adm. Brad Cooper.
“At the direction of the president of the United States and the secretary of the military, our military in the Middle East has done an unprecedented job of eliminating Iran’s threat to the American people as it has done for nearly a century,” Cooper said in a video posted to X on Tuesday.
The United States has deployed more than 50,000 troops and 200 warplanes, two aircraft carriers and an undisclosed number of bombers since Operation Epic Fury began on Saturday.
“This force delivers a large number of explosives, representing the largest US buildup in the Middle East in a generation,” Cooper said.
Israeli troops have been sent to southern Lebanon and stationed near the border.
Strikes in Beirut and residential areas in the east of the country left at least 11 people dead.
By Post cables
