BEIRUT, LEBANON (9:45 P.M.) – New details about the U.S.’ interception of Mahan Air plane have been released by the Iranian media this week, including the origin of the American jets that were involved.
According to Al-Alam TV, the U.S. F-15 jets took off from the Azraq Airbase in Jordan and intercepted the Iranian airliner in the Homs Governorate on the night of Thursday, July 24th.
The Al-Alam report stated that this base is the same one that was used by the drone that carried out the assassination of the late commander of the Quds Force, Major General Qassim Soleimani, on January 3, 2020 near Baghdad International Airport.
The sources indicated that the two American fighters intercepted the Iranian plane once over the Al-Tanf region in Syrian airspace and another near the Lebanese-Syrian border.
They said that this indicates that the two American fighters were targeting the plane or pushing it into a trap that would result in the Syrian air defenses shooting down the aircraft.
This theory was first introduced by the Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations, Dr. Bashar Al-Ja’afari, and it has since been referenced several times by the Iranian media.
The U.S. has not commented on these claims from Iran and Syria; however, the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) did say that the interception only involved one jet and it was done so to protect the American troops in Al-Tanf.
2 - 2Shares
Be Civil
This is a Civilized Place for Public Discussion
Please treat this discussion with the same respect you would a public park. We, too, are a shared community resource — a place to share skills, knowledge and interests through ongoing conversation.
These are not hard and fast rules, merely guidelines to aid the human judgment of our community and keep this a clean and well-lighted place for civilized public discourse.
Make it better
Improve the Discussion
Help us make this a great place for discussion by always working to improve the discussion in some way, however small. If you are not sure your post adds to the conversation, think over what you want to say and try again later.
The topics discussed here matter to us, and we want you to act as if they matter to you, too. Be respectful of the topics and the people discussing them, even if you disagree with some of what is being said.
Now the hard part!
Be Agreeable, Even When You Disagree
You may wish to respond to something by disagreeing with it. That’s fine. But remember to criticize ideas, not people. Please avoid:
Instead, provide reasoned counter-arguments that improve the conversation.