How Iran Brought Down US Military A-10 ‘Warthog’: IRGC Releases Video

The IRGC Aerospace Force has released dramatic visuals purportedly showing the moment Iranian air defence systems intercepted and downed an American A-10 'Warthog', marking a major escalation in the five-week-old conflict.

The footage, broadcast on state media, serves as the centrepiece of a series of Iranian claims regarding the loss of two US warplanes on Friday. The strikes have left two pilots rescued but a third missing, triggering a high-stakes manhunt across southwestern Iran.

Losses in the Air

According to reports, the first aircraft, a two-seat US F-15E Strike Eagle, was brought down within Iranian territory. While the Pentagon has remained tight-lipped, US media reports suggest American special forces successfully recovered one crew member. The fate of the second crew member remains unknown.

The second loss involved an A-10 Thunderbolt II, commonly known as the 'Warthog', which was reportedly struck over Kuwaiti airspace. The pilot in that instance managed to eject and has been recovered.

The recovery operations themselves faced heavy resistance. Two Black Hawk helicopters involved in the search-and-rescue mission were reportedly hit by Iranian fire, though US officials confirmed both aircraft managed to retreat from Iranian airspace.

Political Fallout

The White House has confirmed that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the losses. Speaking to NBC News, the President appeared undeterred by the day's events. When questioned on whether the F-15 loss would stall negotiations with Tehran, he replied:

"No, not at all. No, it's war."

The incidents come just eight days after the President claimed Iranian defences had been neutralised to the point that US planes were flying over Tehran with impunity.

The Hunt for the Pilot

In Iran, the tone has shifted toward psychological warfare. Local officials have broadcast offers of "valuable rewards" for the capture of the missing US pilot. An Iranian governor further stoked tensions by promising commendations for the capture or killing of "forces of the hostile enemy."

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, took to social media to mock the coalition's military progress. Writing on X, Qalibaf claimed the war had been "downgraded from regime change" to a desperate search for missing personnel.

The war, which began on 28 February following a joint US-Israeli operation that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has now claimed over 1,900 lives. While the US has previously reported losses due to mechanical failure or friendly fire, this marks the first confirmed instance of piloted US aircraft being downed by Iranian hostile fire since the commencement of hostilities.

To date, 13 US service members have been killed in the conflict, alongside 19 fatalities in Israel and approximately two dozen in the Gulf states following Iranian retaliatory strikes.