File Photo: An Israeli F-35 lands at Ovda airbase, at Ovda airbase near Eilat, southern Israel. AP
Iran brought down two jet fighters during Friday’s large-scale Israeli assault on sites across Iran, including Tehran and the Natanz nuclear facility.
A third US-made F-35 was shot down on Saturday over western Iran. Iranian state television claimed domestic air defence systems intercepted all three, though no physical evidence has been presented.
Tasnim reported that one pilot—identified as female—was captured alive after ejecting from one of the jets. State media did not provide further details.
The Israeli assault reportedly authorized six months ago and initially scheduled for late April, marked one of the most extensive Israeli operations inside Iranian territory in recent years.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes were aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and degrading its missile capabilities.
In a televised address, he said Israel had destroyed the Natanz facility and killed senior military and nuclear figures, calling Iran’s ballistic missile programme a “strategic threat.”
Iranian state media confirmed the attacks killed several senior commanders.
Among the dead were Major General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces; IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami; Major General Gholam Ali Rashid, who led Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters; IRGC Aerospace Commander Major General Amir Ali Hajizadeh; and at least six nuclear scientists.
Israel said it killed nine Iranian nuclear scientists in Friday’s attacks, raising the figure from six announced earlier.
Iran has since launched waves of retaliatory missile and drone strikes on Israel, beginning Friday night and continuing into Saturday morning. The attacks killed at least three people and injured dozens, according to Israeli reports.
In response to the Israeli strikes, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed a severe retaliation: “With this crime, the Zionist regime has prepared for itself a bitter, painful fate, which it will definitely see.”
US President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States was informed in advance of the Israeli operation and later assisted in intercepting Iran’s retaliatory strikes.
Washington, however, denied any direct role, insisting the action was undertaken “unilaterally” by Israel.
Tehran continues to hold the US responsible, accusing it of enabling what it described as an act of aggression.
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