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The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced this Friday that it had shot down a second U.S. fighter jet in the airspace of central Iran, as part of the joint offensive that Washington and Israel are conducting against Iranian territory.
A spokesperson from the central headquarters Khatam al-Anbiya stated -in remarks collected by the Iranian agency Mehr and reported by Reuters, that the aircraft was struck by the air defense systems of the Revolutionary Guard, and that it was "completely destroyed."
The spokesperson added that, "due to the strong explosion, it is unlikely that the pilot was able to survive."
U.S. authorities have not confirmed or commented on the alleged downing as of the time of this report.
Background
This announcement has a direct precedent: on March 19, the United States Army confirmed the emergency landing of an F-35 at a base in the Middle East after "a combat mission" in Iran, following claims by the Revolutionary Guard that they had hit the aircraft.
On that occasion, Washington stated that the aircraft had landed successfully, while Iran insisted that the plane had been "hit" and had suffered "serious damage."
The announcement of the second downing occurred hours after American bombings in the Alborz province resulted in the deaths of at least eight people and left 95 injured, in an attack that destroyed the B1 bridge, described as the longest in the Middle East.
The attack occurred while Iranian families were celebrating Nature Day in the area, near the city of Karaj, west of Tehran.
The president Donald Trump shared images of the destruction of the bridge and warned that there would be "much more to come."
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, condemned the bombings of civilian infrastructure, describing them as a "moral collapse."
The spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari, threatened with attacks "more devastating than ever" against the United States, Israel, and their allies if attacks on infrastructure continue.
The conflict began on February 28, 2026 with Operation Epic Fury, launched by the United States; and Operation Roaring Lion, executed by Israel; which targeted over 900 Iranian sites in the first 24 hours.
Iranian authorities have confirmed over 2,000 dead since the beginning of the offensive, among them the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, and the Ministers of Defense and Intelligence, Aziz Nasirzadeh and Esmaeil Khaitib, respectively.
On April 1st, Trump stated that Iran had requested a ceasefire, although he conditioned any agreement on demands regarding Iran's nuclear program and the end of Tehran's support for armed groups in the region.
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