Iran Claims F-15 Was Shot Down Near Hormuz Days After Reporting Strike On US F-35

Iran's military on Sunday claimed it had shot down an "enemy" F-15 fighter jet near the country's southern coast and close to Hormuz Island using its air defence systems, marking the latest dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict involving the United States and its regional allies.

If independently confirmed, the latest strike would add to a growing list of high-value aircraft losses in the conflict, with Iranian claims now including multiple American fighter jets over the past several weeks. Iranian media reports said the advanced aircraft was hit by a ground-to-air defence system, though there has been no official confirmation from Washington or any allied military in the Middle East.

Iran Says F-15 Was Hit By Ground-Based Air Defence

According to Iran's Fars News Agency, the aircraft was struck by the Iranian air defence force using surface-based missile systems near Hormuz Island, a strategically sensitive region at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.

Iranian media also circulated a video that it claimed showed the country's air defence system locking on to the F-15 before the strike. However, the footage has not been independently verified, and no statement has yet been issued by the United States or other allied countries operating similar aircraft in the region.

The absence of immediate confirmation has left open questions over the identity of the jet. While the US is the most likely operator referenced in Iranian claims, other regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar, also field F-15 fighter aircraft in their air forces.

Fresh Claim Comes Days After Iran's F-35 Strike Assertion

The latest claim follows another major Iranian assertion made just days earlier, when Tehran said it had become the first country to successfully strike a US F-35 Lightning II, one of the world's most advanced fifth-generation fighter jets.

That earlier claim gained partial traction after a CNN report, citing US defence officials, said that an F-35 had made an emergency landing. The report added that the pilot ejected safely and that an investigation into the incident was underway.

While the US did not publicly endorse Iran's version of events, the confirmation of an emergency landing gave the earlier claim added weight and raised concerns over the vulnerability of even highly advanced stealth platforms in the current theatre of conflict.

Fourth F-15 Incident Reported In Four Weeks Of Fighting

Sunday's reported strike is now the fourth known incident involving an F-15 during the four-week conflict in the Middle East.

Earlier, on March 1, three F-15E "Strike Eagle" fighter jets were brought down in separate incidents after being mistakenly engaged by Kuwaiti air defences. According to CENTCOM, the aircraft were "mistakenly shot down" by Kuwaiti forces during ongoing operations.

That episode marked one of the most serious friendly-fire setbacks of the conflict and underscored the risks of increasingly crowded and complex air operations over the region.

The new Iranian claim, if verified, would significantly deepen concerns over air superiority and operational safety for US-led missions in contested airspace.

Other Aircraft Losses Add To Escalating Pressure

Beyond the reported F-15 and F-35 incidents, the conflict has also seen the loss of a US KC-135 refuelling aircraft. The US military earlier said the tanker crashed following an "unspecified incident" involving two aircraft in what it described as "friendly airspace".

Iran has also claimed it targeted an Israeli F-16 fighter jet over central parts of the country using a surface-to-air missile system, further broadening the scope of the regional aerial confrontation.

With both confirmed and unverified aircraft incidents mounting, the latest claim near Hormuz Island is likely to intensify scrutiny over the expanding air war and the risks of a wider regional spillover.