Iran claims hitting Israeli fighter jet as Israel strikes Iranian missile facilities

Tehran/Jerusalem: Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday it has hit an Israeli F-16 Fighting Falcon in the country’s central airspace.

In a statement published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said the aircraft was struck at 3:45 a.m. local time by air defence systems of its Aerospace Division.

It added that the country’s armed forces have successfully tracked and intercepted more than 200 hostile aerial targets, including drones, cruise missiles, and fighter jets, since the war with the US and Israel began late last month, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces said in a Saturday statement that it carried out a large-scale wave of strikes in Tehran overnight, targeting IRGC facilities producing critical components for ballistic missiles.

The strikes severely harmed Iran’s ability to continue producing essential components for ballistic missiles, it added.

On February 28, Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians.

Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the Middle East.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that Iran is seeking “not a ceasefire, but a complete, comprehensive and lasting end to the war,” according to Kyodo News.

In a telephone interview with Kyodo News on Friday, Araghchi described the US-Israeli strikes on Iran as “an illegal, unprovoked act of aggression,” calling on the international community to take a stand against the attacks.

The foreign minister noted that while several countries are attempting to mediate an end to the conflict, Iran has rejected calls for a temporary truce, insisting that any resolution must include guarantees against future attacks as well as compensation for the damage inflicted during the conflict, reports Xinhua, citing Kyodo News.

Araghchi added that while diplomatic efforts are ongoing, the United States has yet to demonstrate its readiness for a genuine resolution.

The report also noted that Tehran is ready to facilitate the passage of Japanese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy shipments, and that negotiations with Japan on the issue are ongoing.

Meanwhile, Araghchi has also issued a sharp warning to the United Kingdom on Saturday, stating that Tehran will respond if British involvement in the ongoing conflict escalates.

In a post on X, Araghchi wrote, “Vast majority of the British People do not want any part in the Israel-US war of choice on Iran. Ignoring his own People, Mr. Starmer is putting British lives in danger by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran. Iran will exercise its right to self-defence.”

The statement comes amid rising tensions following reports that US forces have been granted access to British military bases. According to officials, Araghchi conveyed similar concerns during a phone call with UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, warning that such cooperation would be viewed as “participation in aggression” against Iran.

The UK government, however, has pushed back. In the same conversation, Cooper cautioned Iran against targeting “UK bases, territory or interests,” underscoring the risk of further escalation.

IANS