In a major battlefield escalation, Iran on April 3 shot down two American warplanes — an F-15 fighter jet over Iranian territory and an A-10 ground attack aircraft over the Persian Gulf. It marks the first time a US aircraft has been brought down inside Iran since the conflict began.
Iran’s Khatam al Anbiya central headquarters spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari said the F-15 was destroyed using Iran’s “new advanced defence system,” signaling that Tehran may have deployed previously unknown anti-aircraft capabilities. The A-10 was downed over the Gulf, though fewer details have emerged about that engagement.
The incidents come against a backdrop of intensifying hostilities. President Trump had reportedly threatened to strike Iran’s electrical grid, while simultaneously pushing for a staggering $1.5 trillion defense budget. After the shoot-downs, however, multiple outlets noted that Trump “went quiet” — a conspicuous silence as the situation grew more perilous.