Iran Claims It Shot Down Israeli F-35 Jets and Captured Female Pilot; Israel Denies Allegation

Tehran : Amid escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel, Iranian media has claimed that its air defence systems downed two Israeli F-35 fighter jets and multiple micro aerial vehicles, allegedly capturing a female Israeli pilot. However, there has been no official confirmation from Iran’s military, and the report remains unverified.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported the claim, which was later echoed by Iran’s state-run Press TV. In contrast, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) firmly denied the allegations. IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee dismissed the reports as “completely baseless.”

Tensions in the region have surged following Israel’s massive airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military installations on Friday. The Iranian air defence system reportedly intercepted an Israeli drone near the Fordow nuclear facility, close to the city of Qom, according to Press TV.

Iran’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, stated that the Israeli strikes killed at least 78 people and injured 320 others, the majority of whom were civilians. Among those reportedly killed were top Iranian military leaders, including:

• Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces
• Hossein Salami, Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
• Gholam-Ali Rashid, Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central HQ
• Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Division

In response, Iran launched nearly 100 missiles at central and northern Israel in two powerful waves late Friday. The attacks caused considerable structural damage and left 41 people injured, including two in critical condition.

With both sides trading deadly blows, fears of a broader regional conflict continue to grow.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)