Israel claims downing of Iranian fighter jet over Tehran

The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that it had shot down an Iranian YAK-130 fighter jet (of Russian design) over Tehran, without providing any visual evidence, news agency EFE reports, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

“It is the first time that a fifth-generation F-35 ‘Adir’ fighter jet has shot down a manned combat aircraft,” the statement said.

According to Israeli media, this marks the first time in approximately 40 years that the Israeli Air Force has engaged in an air-to-air battle with manned aircraft.

The Yak-130 is a combat aircraft developed in Russia in the 1990s and is also used for training. The jet is capable of performing maneuvers typical of fourth- and fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

In November 1985, when Shimon Peres was Israel’s prime minister, the then-commander of the Israeli Air Force reported the downing of two Soviet-made Syrian MiG-23 aircraft with air-to-air missiles over Syrian territory, near the border with Lebanon.

In the current conflict, which began last Saturday with U.S. support, Israel claims to have carried out around 1,600 air sorties and launched 4,000 munitions against Iran—more than during the so-called “12-day war” in June 2025.

According to the U.S.-based NGO Human Rights Activists (HRANA), at least 1,097 civilians have been killed in Iran since the start of the new conflict, including 181 children under the age of 10.

The Iranian Red Crescent reported on Tuesday a toll of 787 dead and has not yet updated the figure.