Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed it shot down a United States F-18 fighter jet over southeastern Iran.
In a statement released by the IRGC, the force said the aircraft was shot down by its air new defence systems while flying over the sky of Chabahar, before crashing into the Indian Ocean.
“The F-18 fighter of the invading US army was precisely hit by missiles from the advanced new air defense system of the Basij Naval Force of the IRGC, under the command of the country’s integrated air defense network, in the sky of Chabahar this afternoon and crashed into the Indian Ocean,” the statement said.
The Iranian force described the operation as a major military success, claiming it was the fourth time Iran’s indigenous air defence systems had successfully shot down what it described as strategic fighter aircraft belonging to the United States and its allies.
“This glorious operation is the fourth successful shootdown of strategic fighters of the hostile American and Zionist army by Iran's completely indigenous new air defense systems,” the statement added.
The IRGC also said it dedicated what it called the achievement to the Iranian people and to what it referred to as martyrs of Islamic Iranian students.
The claim was accompanied by a video released by Iranian military media, which allegedly shows the aircraft being tracked and targeted before it disappears from view.
However, the video has not been independently verified, and it remains unclear whether it shows the downing of a US aircraft.
At the time of reporting, the United States Central Command had not issued an official statement confirming that a US F-18 fighter jet had been shot down by Iranian forces. The absence of confirmation means the claim remains unverified.
Military analysts often caution that claims of aircraft shootdowns during conflicts are difficult to verify immediately because both sides typically release information that supports their strategic messaging, while independent verification can take time.
If confirmed, the downing of a US fighter jet by Iranian forces would mark a significant escalation in tensions and military confrontation in the region.
However, until confirmation is issued by the US military or independent defence sources, the incident remains a claim by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.