Tehran: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has publicly displayed what it claims are wreckage and remains of US and Israeli military aircraft and equipment destroyed or brought down during a recent conflict.
According to Iranian media reports, the exhibition features debris from military aircraft, drones and missiles that Tehran claims were destroyed during the fighting. Iranian state-affiliated media has released teaser images and videos showing parts of the displayed wreckage.
Among the items reportedly on display are components believed by Iranian authorities to have come from a US F-15 fighter jet. The reported remains include a pilot’s ejection seat, part of the aircraft’s canopy and a section of its tail. Iranian media said the F-15 wreckage is being displayed publicly for the first time.
The exhibition also reportedly includes debris from other US and Israeli aircraft, as well as remains of drones and missiles.
IRGC spokesperson General Hossein Mohebi had earlier told Tasnim News that, following the 12-day conflict, the IRGC Aerospace Force was tasked with developing an indigenous air defence capability. He said the project was completed rapidly and resulted in the development of a new domestically produced air defence system.
Mohebi claimed that the system was subsequently deployed during another confrontation and successfully intercepted an F-35 fighter aircraft. However, there has been no independent confirmation of the claim.
Iranian officials have also claimed that IRGC missile and drone attacks targeting US military facilities in the region caused damage to various military assets. These claims reportedly include damage to radar systems, air defence equipment, airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft, aerial refuelling aircraft, manned and unmanned combat aircraft and aircraft shelters.
However, the reported losses and claims that specific aircraft were shot down have not been independently verified in every case.
The information surrounding the exhibition is currently based primarily on reports from Iranian state and semi-official media outlets. The display comes amid continuing competing claims by Iran and its adversaries over military losses and the effectiveness of air defence systems during the recent conflict.
