Iran’s air defense capable of destroying advanced hostile aircraft: Commander
The commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Joint Air Defense Headquarters said on Saturday that Iranian air defense systems are keeping a close eye on the enemies’ fighter jets and drones, emphasizing they are fully capable of tracking and destroying advanced hostile aircraft by means of homegrown capabilities.
“The latest successes are indebted to the strenuous efforts and self-sacrifices made by personnel of Iranian air defense units, particularly those of the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), across the Islamic Republic,” Brigadier General Alireza Elhami said.
He added that Iranian air defense forces have managed to intercept and shoot down a number of hostile fighter jets, besides more than 160 unmanned aircraft, including MQ-9 Reaper, Hermes, LUCAS, and other types, before they could carry out any strikes.
Since the beginning of the aggression, Iranian forces have managed to inflict significant damage on US and Israeli military forces.
The Associated Press reported that Iran’s downing of two US military aircraft has dealt a rare blow to the United States in the past 24 years, demonstrating that despite US President Donald Trump’s claim of having “completely destroyed” Iran’s defensive capabilities, the country still retains the ability to retaliate.
Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force Brigadier General Esmaeil Qaani also said on Saturday that “all American terrorists” will ultimately flee the region in the same way the USS Gerald R. Ford commander fled the Red Sea in the face of Iranian retaliatory strikes.
In a post on his X account, Qaani said that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford was forced to retreat from the Red Sea due to fear of Yemeni forces.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, had been sent to West Asia to take part in the US-Israeli aggression against Iran.
Meanwhile, the IRGC said on Saturday that it targeted the Israeli regime’s industrial and military sites, as well as locations hosting commanders and army units, in the 94th wave of Operation True Promise 4.
According to the statement, ballistic missiles and heavy solid- and liquid-fuel projectiles, including Khorramshahr, Kheibar Shekan, and Emad missiles, as well as suicide drones, were used in the strikes.