Iran Destroyed F-35 Jets, Killed U.S. Personnel

Darwin, July 31: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that several U.S. military officials and technical personnel were killed in a missile strike on Jordan’s Al-Azraq Air Base early Thursday, alleging that three American F-35 fighter jets were destroyed in the attack.

In a statement, the IRGC said Iranian forces targeted the strategically important air base in retaliation for recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island. Tehran also claimed that at least three additional U.S. warplanes sustained significant damage.

However, the claims could not be independently verified, and neither the reported casualties nor the alleged destruction of F-35 aircraft has been confirmed by U.S. officials. Washington has not yet commented on the incident.

Jordan’s military rejected Iran’s account, with a military spokesperson saying the country’s air defense systems detected five missiles launched from Iran toward Jordanian territory in the early hours of Thursday. According to the spokesperson, all five missiles were intercepted and destroyed in mid-air in line with Jordan’s defensive operations.

Earlier this month, Iran also targeted Al-Azraq Air Base, which hosts the U.S. Air Forces Central’s 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing.

The latest exchange comes after a brief pause in hostilities. Iran and the United States resumed exchanging strikes on Wednesday night, with Washington confirming it had carried out what it described as “heavy” airstrikes inside Iran in response to an earlier Iranian attack on U.S. forces in Jordan.

A temporary ceasefire had been introduced in an effort to revive diplomatic talks between the two countries. On Thursday, Pakistani mediators said international diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions remain ongoing.

Sources: Reuters