Isfahan, Iran — Web Desk: In a dramatic escalation, two U.S. military aircraft were reportedly forced down in the vicinity of Isfahan when Iranian forces engaged the aircraft during a mission initially described by Tehran as an attack on nuclear facilities. Iranian state media allege the planned operation quickly shifted into a rescue evacuation under hostile fire.
According to Iranian reports, the two U.S. C‑130 aircraft approached and landed at an old, unused airfield near Isfahan. One aircraft was said to carry U.S. commandos, while the second carried light helicopters, vehicles, and specialised equipment.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps claims its forces struck the aircraft immediately upon landing. Iranian state outlets added the engagement turned what was allegedly an offensive operation into a chaotic extraction, with U.S. commandos abandoning documents and weapons before departing aboard helicopters.
State media further claimed both C‑130 aircraft were destroyed as U.S. forces withdrew. Iranian reports also asserted that several retired U.S. generals had reportedly warned then‑U.S. leadership against the operation, leading to their removal from planning one day before the alleged mission.
There has been no independent verification of these claims. The U.S. Department of Defense has not commented on the reported incident at the time of publication. International defence analysts caution that early accounts are unconfirmed and the situation remains highly fluid.
