(Adnkronos) – The United States has so far lost nine planes in the ongoing war against Iran since February 28. The first were shot down on March 2, the last on April 5, as the BBC recalls, citing analyzed images, official statements, and briefings to US journalists.
The most recent events date back to April 5 when CBS News reported, citing US officials, that two transport planes, sent to assist the F-15E rescue mission, failed to take off from a remote base in Iran. According to reports, the planes were destroyed to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. Photos verified by the BBC show the smoking remains of a plane in central Iran.
Two days earlier, on April 3, a fighter jet was shot down while flying over central Iran. An expert cited by the BBC explained that from the debris in the photos, it could be stated that the downed aircraft was a US F-15E Strike Eagle. The same day, the New York Times reported, citing US officials, that an A-10 Warthog aircraft crashed in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, and that the pilot had been saved.
Images verified by the BBC on March 29 then showed an E-3 Sentry command and control aircraft broken in two at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, following reports of an Iranian attack.
On March 12, moreover, six crew members died after a US KC-135 tanker aircraft crashed in western Iraq, as confirmed by the United States Central Command (Centcom). The circumstances are under investigation, but Centcom ruled out enemy fire or friendly fire.
On March 2, three US F-15E fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait in what Centcom described as “an apparent friendly fire incident.” All six crew members ejected safely. The BBC confirmed that a video shows an F-15 diving towards the ground west of Kuwait City and images of a crew member next to a parachute.
