Iran's IRGC Claims to Shoot Down US F-15 Pilot Search Plane

JAKARTA - The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the interception and destruction of a US plane south of Isfahan that was looking for the pilot of an F-15E fighter jet, which was previously shot down, according to a report by the Press TV television station, quoted by VOI from ANTARA, Sunday.

The television station also quoted a statement from the Iranian air defense claiming to have intercepted and destroyed an Israeli Hermes-900 drone.

On Saturday night, US President Donald Trump said that the F-15E plane that was shot down in Iran had been rescued and was safe. He added that dozens of planes took part in the operation.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched an attack on a number of targets in Iran, including in Tehran, causing damage and casualties among civilians.

Iran retaliated by attacking Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East.

The US and Israel initially claimed their "preemptive" attack was necessary to counter a threat they believed to be emanating from Iran's nuclear program.

But they were quick to insist that they wanted to make a change of power in Iran.