US claims to have destroyed own aircraft during rescue mission in Iran

The United States destroyed at least one, possibly two, of its own military aircraft during a rescue mission in Iran, reports indicate. The planes were blown up to stop sensitive military technology from falling into Iranian hands. The operation was carried out after two American airmen were stranded deep inside Iranian territory, the reports stated.

The rescue mission began after an American fighter jet was shot down by Iranian forces. One wounded airman was rescued first. Later, US special operations aircraft landed at a temporary desert airstrip to pick up the second airman. However, the situation became difficult when one or two transport aircraft became unusable. Reports say the planes either had technical problems or got stuck in soft desert sand.

As Iranian forces started moving closer, US troops decided to destroy the stranded aircraft. They called in additional aircraft to complete the rescue. According to intelligence officials, a decision was taken to protect classified equipment installed in the planes.

Photos shared by Iranian media showed burned remains of what appeared to be large transport aircraft in a desert area. Reports suggest the planes were special operation transport aircraft worth more than $100 million each. Parts of a small helicopter were also seen in the wreckage.

US officials confirmed that both airmen were successfully rescued. One was seriously injured, while the second was recovered a few hours later. The rescue mission involved several aircraft and created confusion for Iranian forces during the operation.