In a spectacular display of U.S. air defense superiority on day 60 of the 2026 US-Iran war, American anti-air forces successfully sH๏τ down multiple Iranian fighter jets as they attempted to land at a heavily fortified secret mountain airfield deep inside Iran.
U.S. Patriot missile batteries and F-35 stealth fighters operating from the carrier strike group detected the incoming Iranian jets — believed to be Russian-made Su-35s and domestically upgraded F-14 Tomcats — as they approached the concealed mountain base carved into the Zagros Mountains. The airfield, part of Iran’s underground “Eagle 44” network designed to shelter aircraft from strikes, came under immediate attack.
At least four Iranian jets were destroyed in mid-air or while attempting emergency landing maneuvers. Bright fireballs lit up the night sky as the aircraft were torn apart by advanced U.S. air-to-air missiles and surface-to-air systems. Debris rained down across the mountainous terrain.
U.S. Central Command confirmed the operation as a “complete success,” stating the strike prevented Iran from reinforcing its battered air force and using the hidden mountain facility as a safe haven. The mountain airfield was also hit with follow-up precision strikes to render its runways unusable.
This major victory comes as the U.S. maintains overwhelming pressure across the theater: a full carrier strike group dominating the Strait of Hormuz, A-10 Warthogs hunting ground targets, B-2 bombers hammering underground facilities, and over 13,000 Marines supported by V-22 Ospreys now in position.
The shootdown follows Iran’s recent heavy missile and cluster bomb attacks on Israel, despite which Tehran continues to suffer significant losses in the air.
U.S. Central Command reports nearly 200 American troops injured across the theater with 13 confirmed deaths. President Donald Trump hailed the operation, saying: “Our air defenses are the best in the world. Iran’s jets tried to hide in the mountains — we found them and took them out.”
Brent crude prices remain above $129 per barrel as the intense fighting continues.
With Iranian aircraft now being systematically eliminated even at their most protected mountain bases, Tehran’s air force is facing near-total collapse.
The situation remains extremely volatile and is developing rapidly.
