--- title: "U.S. Denies F-15E Strike Eagle Went Down In Iran" description: "There are new risks as the U.S. expands its air campaign deeper into Iran, and meanwhile Iran has begun to strike Azerbaijan with drones." date: "2026-03-05" modified: "2026-03-05" authors: - name: "Howard Altman" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/howard-altman.md" - name: "Joseph Trevithick" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/joseph-trevithick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/news-features/u-s-denies-f-15e-strike-eagle-went-down-in-iran" categories: - "Air" - "Air Forces" - "Around The Globe" - "F-15" - "Fighters" - "Iran" - "Iranian Navy" - "Middle East" - "Navies" - "News & Features" - "Sea" - "U.S. Air Force" - "U.S. Navy" --- # U.S. Denies F-15E Strike Eagle Went Down In Iran ![U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has denied claims circulating online of the loss of another F-15E Strike Eagle, this time over enemy territory, as part of ongoing operations against Iran.]() *A stock picture of a US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle. USAF* U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has denied claims circulating online of the loss of another F-15E Strike Eagle, this time over enemy territory, as part of ongoing operations against Iran. Earlier this week, three Strike Eagles were downed [in an apparent friendly fire incident](), reportedly by a [Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet](). All of this comes as the U.S.-Israeli air campaign continued to expand, and as the overall conflict has otherwise spilled further through the region. *You can catch up with our latest coverage of ongoing operations against Iran [here](). The latest updates on the war are further down the page on this article.* "Rumors circulating on social media of a U.S. F-15E crash in Iran early Wednesday are baseless and NOT TRUE," CENTCOM stated on X Thursday morning. https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/2029525215374348672?s=20 A CENTCOM spokesperson also told *TWZ* directly that there have been no aircraft downed other than those in Kuwait. The denial came after a now-deleted post from the popular @sentdefender account on X claiming a F-15E had gone down went viral, with at least nearly 800,000 views. The post said the aircraft had gone down during a strike mission over southwestern Iran, but said the proximate cause was unknown. The Strike Eagles were said to have been able to eject safely and were then recovered in a joint U.S.-Israeli combat search and rescue mission. Claims about the loss had already been swirling amongst the open-source community. ![]() **via X** "We have made the decision to delete reports made last night regarding the crash of a USAF F-15E Strike Eagle in Iran and the successful evacuation of the crewmembers by U.S. and Israeli Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR)," the account wrote in a new post today. "Defender Media maintains confidence in its sources, however, the story is as of now being officially and publicly denied by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)." https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/2029528101605011925?s=20 *TWZ* has reached out to @sentdefender for further comment. This is not the first time CENTCOM has taken part in the online information war that has become standard for conflicts in the social media era. Yesterday, the command took to X to refute several claims made by Iran about killing 100 Marines, sinking a destroyer, taking down other aircraft, and forcing U.S. troops to withdraw from the conflict. "ALL LIES," CENTCOM stated in its post. https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/2029293740049715563?s=20 What is true is that the U.S.-Israeli air war over Iran is expanding and includes an increasing number of aircraft employing stand-in munitions closer to their targets. Potential risks can only be magnified, at least to a degree, as operations push deeper into Iran. There is always the potential for aircraft to go down for reasons other than enemy fire, as well. We have concluded our rolling coverage in this piece. You can find our continuing coverage of the ongoing conflict [here](). ***UPDATE: 6:40 PM EST –*** Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), have held a joint press briefing. Several key takeaways are as follows: - U.S. Air Force bombers have struck 200 targets in Tehran and elsewhere across Iran in the past 72 hours. - This includes a new round of strikes involving [B-2 bombers]() dropping 2,000-pound-class bunker-buster bombs on deeply-buried Iranian missile facilities just in the hour before the briefing. - "Iran's equivalent of \[U.S.\] Space Command" was also struck. - Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks have decreased by 90 percent in the past 24 hours. - Iran's drone attacks are down 83 percent since day one of the operation (February 28). - The total number of Iranian ships destroyed has now risen to 30. - This includes an unspecified "Iranian drone carrier ship, roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier," said to have been struck "just the last few hours." - Strikes are targeting Iran's missile production capabilities, as well as operational inventories. - Iranian air defenses also continue to be heavily targeted. https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2029684000646648286?s=20 On the matter of the 'drone carrier,' it is worth noting that CENTCOM previously said it had targeted Iran's *Shahid Bagheri*, an unusual ship often described in this way, as you can read more about [here](). Satellite [imagery *TWZ* previously obtained]() of the Iranian Navy's main base at Bandar Abbas had also shown what looked to be the [sea base-type ship *Makran*]() on fire. It remains unclear which ship Adm. Cooper was referring to. "The amount of combat power that's still flowing, that's still coming, that we'll be able to project over Iran is a \[sic\] multiples of what it currently is right now, when you add up our capabilities and those of the Israeli Defense Forces," Secretary Hegseth said. "We got there, and that's now part of the way that we're operationalizing bomber runs," Hegseth added in response to a question about access to British bases like Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to support Operation Epic Fury, [which was reportedly initially denied](). "When we say more to come, it's more fighter squadrons, it's more capabilities, it's more defensive capabilities, and it's more bomber pulses more frequently. The amount of firepower over Iran and over Tehran is about to surge dramatically, and part of it is that we're gonna have even more basing. And it's not just the U.K. We've had other friends step up, and we're grateful for that." "As CENTCOM pointed out, those reports of an F-15 being shot down are false," Secretary Hegseth also said at the press conference, reiterating the previous denial. https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/2029690992324903422 Hegseth also pushed back again on reports about concerns about stockpiles of key munitions. https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/2029685561766576545 The pictures and videos below are said to show the aftermath of an Iranian ballistic missile impact in central Israel. The missile may have carried [a cluster munition warhead](), according to *The Times of Israel*. https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029668598579429439 https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029663887919124936 https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/2029666569136029800 https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/2029664176050745359 U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Iranian diplomats around the world to defect from the regime in Tehran. https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/2029676959232340313 A war powers resolution seeking to curb U.S. military operations against Iran has failed to pass in the U.S. House of Representatives. https://twitter.com/marksatter/status/2029674207936675962 Claims have been circulating today that the U.S. Navy has been employing the High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system in support of Operation Epic Fury. HELIOS is only known to be installed on one ship at present, [the *Arleigh Burke* class destroyer USS *Preble*](), which was in [port in Japan at least as of February 20](). Another Arleigh Burke class destroyer, the USS *Stockdale*, is participating in Operation Epic Fury, but is equipped with the very different [Optical Dazzling Interdictor (ODIN) laser directed energy weapon](). Whether ODIN has been employed as part of ongoing operations against Iran is unknown. https://twitter.com/Aviation_Intel/status/2029701555688276075?s=20 ***UPDATE: 4:57 PM EST –*** U.S. Central Command edited a post on X that originally said "Rumors are circulating on social media of a U.S. fighter jet crash over Basra. These are baseless and NOT TRUE." to read instead that "Rumors are circulating on social media of a U.S. fighter jet shot down over Basra. These are baseless and NOT TRUE." https://twitter.com/OAlexanderDK/status/2029673227631374649 In speaking directly to *TWZ*, U.S. Central Command had also denied claims that a U.S. military aircraft had been shot down over Iraq, and said the change in the X post's language was simply a matter of semantics. *Al Jazeera* and *Rudaw* had earlier reported that a search was underway for a U.S. pilot after their plane went down in Iraq's Basra region, citing local police officials, but did not give a reason for why the aircraft had come down. https://twitter.com/ELINTNews/status/2029655982180061621 https://twitter.com/RudawEnglish/status/2029656124824187105 Regardless, *TWZ* continues to highlight the potential risks associated with the expanding U.S.-Israeli air campaign against Iran. This all comes amid widespread misconceptions about the degree to which air superiority, let alone air supremacy, has been achieved, as you can read more about in our new piece [here](). ***UPDATE: 3:45 PM EST –*** "We are now moving to the next phase of the campaign, in which we will increase the damage to the foundations of the regime and its military capabilities," IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has said in a statement. "We have additional surprising moves, which I do not intend to reveal. We will pursue our enemies, all of them, and we will find them." "The Israeli Air Force has carried out 2,500 strikes and dropped over 6,000 munitions," Zamir also said. "We have neutralized and destroyed more than 60 percent of the ballistic missile launchers" and 80 percent of Iran's air defense systems. https://twitter.com/ariel_oseran/status/2029634294826652160 https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029630252926861611 The IDF continues to release footage from strikes in Iran and Lebanon. https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029642426604806628 https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029632725557346572 The IDF says its aircraft collectively flew more than 7,000 flight hours and struck more than 750 targets in the first 100 hours of Operation Roaring Lion. https://twitter.com/IDF/status/2029640963044356367 The videos below are said to show a major strike in Iran's Bushehr region earlier in the week. There are reports that Bushehr Air Base was the target. https://twitter.com/AuroraIntel/status/2029645043049419240 The Ministry of Defense of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has released a new tally of interceptions of Iranian missiles and drones in the course of the conflict so far. The country's forces have downed 196 ballistic missiles, eight cruise missiles, and 1,072 drones, per the latest data. https://twitter.com/modgovae/status/2029573223751512078 There are reports of a drone attack in Iraq's Duhok province near an oilfield operated by U.S. firm HKN Energy. https://twitter.com/BaxtiyarGoran/status/2029649917271024058 The U.S. State Department has suspended operations at the American Embassy in Kuwait City, Kuwait, indefinitely. "While there have been no reported injuries to U.S. personnel, the safety of Americans abroad remains the highest priority of the U.S. Department of State," the Embassy [said in a press release](). https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/status/2029640137399816519 Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said that his government made the decision to kill Iranian Supreme Leader Ayollah Ali Khamenei back in November and planned to do so within a six-month timeframe, according to *Reuters*. https://twitter.com/idreesali114/status/2029646137074860276 The picture below is said to show Iranian sailors from the IRIS *Bushehr* being brought ashore in Sri Lanka. https://twitter.com/MsVidharshana/status/2029638141402054704 ***UPDATE: 2:23 PM EST –*** The IDF says it has now conducted 12 waves of strikes on Tehran. Israeli forces also continue to hit targets elsewhere in Iran. https://twitter.com/IDF/status/2029546882851033121 https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029592215316558091 https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029531090080207143 Iranian authorities say the total death toll from U.S.-Israeli strikes is now 1,230, but again with no breakdown between civilians and members of the country's military and security forces. https://twitter.com/idreesali114/status/2029551813624504765 Israeli operations in Lebanon also continue to expand. Alerts were issued earlier in the day advising residents in broad swaths of the Beqaa Valley and the capital Beirut to evacuate ahead of air strikes. Lebanese authorities say that 102 people have died and 638 more have been wounded in Israeli strikes so far. https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029619941813485943 https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029540008890130659 https://twitter.com/idreesali114/status/2029580830322876638 The video and pictures below are said to show a fire at the Bahrain Petroleum Company's (BAPCO) oil refinery in the Ma'ameer following an Iranian attack. https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/2029600132207964245?s=20 The earlier Iranian attack on Azerbaijan has caused that country to close a portion of its airspace over the southern end of the country. This adds to already significant airspace closures across the broader region. https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/2029568584431636955 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has told *NBC News* that his country is prepared for a ground invasion in a new interview. He also said that Iran is still refusing to engage with the United States and has not asked for a ceasefire. https://twitter.com/nbcnews/status/2029603806988664845?s=12 ***UPDATE: 1:57 PM EST –*** The IDF says it has now conducted 12 waves of strikes on Tehran. Israeli forces also continue to hit targets elsewhere in Iran. https://twitter.com/IDF/status/2029546882851033121 https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029592215316558091 https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029531090080207143 Iranian authorities say the total death toll from U.S.-Israeli strikes is now 1,230, but again with no breakdown between civilians and members of the country's military and security forces. https://twitter.com/idreesali114/status/2029551813624504765 Israeli operations in Lebanon also continue to expand. Alerts were issued earlier in the day advising residents in broad swaths of the Beqaa Valley and the capital Beirut to evacuate ahead of air strikes. Lebanese authorities say that 102 people have died and 638 more have been wounded in Israeli strikes so far. https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029619941813485943 https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029540008890130659 https://twitter.com/idreesali114/status/2029580830322876638 The video below is said to show strikes on an Iranian missile base in the country's mountainous Damavand region. https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/2029594574457311391?s=20 U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted that the U.S. government will have a role in choosing Iran's future leadership, per *Reuters*. Trump said today that he would be personally involved in such a selection, according to *Axios*. https://twitter.com/idreesali114/status/2029608776936943885 https://twitter.com/AlexThomp/status/2029592644070838360 ***UPDATE: 1:20 PM EST –*** U.S. Central Command has released a new video showing B-52 bombers flying in support of Operation Epic Fury. Closer inspection of the footage shows the aircraft carrying loads of [AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile]() (JASSM) air-launched cruise missiles. "This came up in one of my threads yesterday as to B-52s and B-1s likely executing standoff strikes using cruise missiles fired from outside Iran, not direct attacks," our own Tyler Rogoway has written on X. "This video confirms it, AGM-158 JASSMs on the wings. They were not ready to push anything but B-2s over Iran." https://twitter.com/Aviation_Intel/status/2029596367468044583?s=20 *The Washington Post* has reported on the U.S. military's use of artificial intelligence (AI) driven tools to help with developing target packages and other tasks in support of Operation Epic Fury. U.S. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, very briefly mentioned the contributions of AI [at a press conference at the Pentagon yesterday](). https://twitter.com/HoansSolo/status/2029432484971049144?s=20 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has visited Ovda Air Base, which is currently hosting U.S. combat jets. Pictures show U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors, which were [reported to have arrived last week](), as well as at least one F/A-18F Super Hornet. The presence of Super Hornets at Ovda does not look to have been previously disclosed. https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029602196577280248 https://twitter.com/MenchOsint/status/2029602997198545106?s=20 IDF Logistics Command says it has already provided "hundreds of millions of liters of fuel" to support ongoing operations, according to *The Jerusalem Post*. Israel's small fleet of [KC-707 tankers]() has conducted 550 individual aerial refuelings, according to the Israeli Air Force. Before the conflict erupted, [*TWZ* highlighted the immense value]() that U.S. tanker support would bring to any future operations against Iran. https://twitter.com/Jerusalem_Post/status/2029556527275573613?s=20 https://twitter.com/IAFsite/status/2029550969323761888?s=20 The Institute for the Study of War has published additional satellite imagery analysis of damage to Ali al Salem Airbase in Kuwait from Iranian attacks. https://twitter.com/TheStudyofWar/status/2029582475261870327?s=20 Iranian authorities claim to be engaged in "preemptive" operations targeting Iraqi-based "separatist groups." This follows [still conflicting reports that began emerging yesterday]() regarding the possibility of a ground incursion by armed Iranian Kurdish groups. https://twitter.com/FaytuksNetwork/status/2029461351542772088?s=20 https://twitter.com/phawraman/status/2029503450946416991?s=12 Iranian state media has also carried threats, attributed to unnamed officials, of attacks targeting the Israeli nuclear site at Dimona in the event of any concerted effort to unseat the current regime in Tehran. https://twitter.com/TimesofIsrael/status/2029452883100344604?s=20 Italian authorities say they are joining the multinational effort to bolster the defense of Cyprus in the face of Iranian attacks. https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/2029504383935791393 In a new interview with *Bloomberg*, Antony Blinken, who was U.S. Secretary of State under President Joe Biden, has suggested the Trump administration could seek to declare victory based on achievements so far as a possible off-ramp to the current conflict. Blinken also highlighted concerns about the impacts on U.S. munitions stocks and global energy markets if the fighting drags on. https://twitter.com/Mylovanov/status/2029301428997550264?s=20 https://twitter.com/Mylovanov/status/2029301440338870553?s=20 https://twitter.com/Mylovanov/status/2029301447049769109?s=20 There are reports that 1,000 commercial vessels, roughly half of which are oil and natural gas tankers, are currently anchored in and around the Persian Gulf as operators weigh the risks of attempting to sail in and out of the region, citing data from Lloyd’s Market Association. As already noted, ships are being attacked while sailing and at anchor in the Persian Gulf, as well as the Gulf of Oman. https://twitter.com/FaytuksNetwork/status/2029538460894154950?s=20 https://twitter.com/afp/status/2029426612874166513?s=12 https://twitter.com/marinetraffic/status/2029505225778659763?s=12 ***UPDATE: 12:36 PM EST –*** As the joint U.S.-Israeli Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran continues into a sixth day, the war is spreading beyond the Middle East. On Thursday, Azerbaijani officials said [Iranian drones struck territory]() and [vowed to ]()retaliate. The country shares a border with northwestern Iran. "At around midday on 5 March, drone attacks were carried out against the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of the Republic of Azerbaijan from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the [Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry said in a statement](). "One drone struck the terminal building of the airport in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, while another drone fell near a school building in the village of Shakarabad. We strongly condemn these drone attacks launched from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which resulted in damage to the airport building and injuries of two civilians." https://twitter.com/azerbaijanmfa/status/2029479285270974474?s=46&t=cbCZ6V64euYCCy5V9r9oiQ Four people were injured in the attack, according to Azerbaijani officials, and Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev told a meeting of his Security Council that his country would respond militarily. "We will not ​tolerate this unprovoked act of terror and aggression against Azerbaijan," he proclaimed, [according to *Reuters*](). "Our Armed Forces have been ​instructed to prepare and implement appropriate retaliatory measures. We are ready to demonstrate our strength ⁠against any hostile force - and they should not forget this in Iran." Aliyev did not offer specifics about what kind of retaliation. Iranian Deputy Foreign ​Minister Kazem Gharibabadi [denied Tehran had targeted Nakhchivan](), saying, "We do not attack our neighboring countries." Video seen below is said to show the aftermath of these attacks. https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/2029483423178362899?s=20 Meanwhile, several nations continue to send more military assets to Cyprus. *Sky News* reported on X that the U.K., Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands are all deploying warships to help bolster the island nation's defenses. Notably, French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered the aircraft carrier *Charles de Gaulle* [to head to the eastern Mediterranean](). In addition, Greece has already deployed four F-16s to the island. https://twitter.com/AliBunkallSKY/status/2029504836765393014?s=20 This comes as RAF Akrotiri, a British air base on Cyprus, continues to come under attack. On Thursday, an image emerged showing what appears to be [a hole punctured in a hangar]() regularly used by U.S. Air Force [U-2 Dragon Lady spy planes]() operating from the base. A one-way attack drone hit the RAF Akrotiri base late on Sunday, March 1. It is unclear if any aircraft were there at the time. The U.K. Defense Ministry told us that there were no casualties and that damage to the base was "minimal." There was "no damage to equipment inside the hangar," the official added. We've reached out to the U.S. Air Force and U.S. European Command for comment and will update this story with any pertinent details provided. https://twitter.com/jeromestarkey/status/2029457958304674252 Iran claims it has now begun employing [Khorramshahr-4 medium-range ballistic missiles]() (MRBM) in strikes on Israel, but firm corroborating evidence has yet to emerge. The IRGC said it fired a volley of these missiles at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport earlier today. https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/2029520706619252738 The Khorramshahr-4 is said to carry a 3,300-pound warhead, the heaviest payload of any of Iran's ballistic missiles, which would allow for a broader swath of targets to be threatened with greater damage from any successful impacts. Khorramshahr-4s could also be fired from areas further in the eastern interior of the country, reducing vulnerability to U.S. and Israeli strikes that [have already significantly degraded]() Iran's ability to launch missiles and drones. You can read more about what is known about this missile, which is derived from a North Korean design, [here](). https://twitter.com/CSIS/status/2029557694424653945?s=20 So far, Israel has not reported any casualties or major damage resulting from Iranian volleys today, and authorities in the country have highlighted a notable drop in overall attacks. https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029528637846790578?s=20 https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/2029467062414766144 The IDF has now released a video of yesterday's shootdown of one of Iran's Russian-made Yak-130 light jets by an F-35I Adir fighter, which appears to be a view from the latter's targeting system. You can read more about this engagement, which is the first known instance of an F-35 of any kind destroying a crewed aircraft, [here](). https://twitter.com/IDF/status/2029487309104554277 The Pentagon and at least one Gulf Arab nation have [reportedly reached out to Ukraine]() for cheap interceptors to help fend off waves of low-cost Iranian drones that have killed American troops and caused widespread damage across the Middle East. The talks, [reported by the *Financial Times*](), come [amid continuing questions]() about the sufficiency of stocks of anti-air interceptors as Iran's retaliatory attacks continue. [As we have frequently noted](), Ukraine has made significant investments in the development of new, [lower-cost interceptors]() in response to years now of Russian drone attacks. https://twitter.com/ft/status/2029423804745674854?s=12 On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also acknowledged the interest in his country's counter-drone systems. "We received signals from partners in the Middle East," he explained on X. "There have been strikes by Iranian 'Shaheds' on civilians in those countries. They are seeking our expertise. We are open. If their representatives come, we will provide the expertise. Especially since there is also a request from Europeans and from the United States. Requests have come to us to share our experience with partners in the Middle East." However, Zelensky also stated his oft-repeated concern about his own country's stock of interceptors and suggested a swap of those for Patriot missiles. "Regarding weapons: we ourselves are at war. And I said, completely frankly, that we have a shortage of what they have," the Ukrainian leader noted. "They have missiles for the Patriots, but hundreds or thousands of 'Shaheds' cannot be intercepted with Patriot missiles – it is too costly. Nothing is too much for the people, of course, but they simply do not have that many missiles. That is why they need interceptor drones, which we have. Meanwhile, we have a shortage of PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles. So, when it comes to technology or weapons exchange, I believe our country will be open to it." https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/2029470937695781108?s=20 While the Pentagon eyes Ukrainian interceptors, U.S. Central Command [is reportedly seeking]() additional personnel to help handle the flow of intelligence pouring in from the Middle East. CENTCOM “is asking the Pentagon to send more military intelligence officers to its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, to support operations against Iran for at least 100 days but likely through September,” [*Politico* reported, citing a notification it obtained](). “It’s the first known call for additional intelligence personnel for the Iran war by the administration, and a sign the Pentagon is already allocating funding for operations that may stretch long beyond President Donald Trump’s initial four-week timeline for the conflict,” the outlet posited. “The rush to add people and resources to support efforts that are often organized well in advance of U.S. military action highlights how the Trump team had not fully anticipated the wide fallout of the war it launched alongside Israel on Saturday.” https://twitter.com/alivaez/status/2029473981670056338?s=12 It has been pointed out that the "through September" timeline for these temporary deployments may simply be dictated by standard personnel management procedures. https://twitter.com/CrispinBurke/status/2029527988254261656 CENTCOM has released a new video showing attacks on Iranian hardened shelters and aircraft out in the open. https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/2029543711407837528?s=20 CENTCOM has also highlighted new attacks on Iranian mobile missile launchers. [As we noted yesterday,]() these strikes have been a big focus of Epic Fury and have helped drastically reduce the number of missiles Iran has launched. https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/2029412335916376164?s=20 A new uncrewed surface vessel attack on a commercial ship has been reported. The Bahamas-flagged crude oil tanker *Sonangol Namibe*, which was anchored in Iraqi waters, is said to have been struck. [As we previously reported](), the first Iranian kamikaze boat attack during Epic Fury took place on March 2 on a ship in the Gulf of Oman. https://twitter.com/mercoglianos/status/2029536094421709144 A video emerged on social media purporting to show the moment that USV hit the **Sonangol Namibe**. https://twitter.com/FaytuksNetwork/status/2029523535605932106?s=20 In the wake of the [sinking of an Iranian frigate]() by a U.S. Navy fast attack submarine, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi called the incident an "atrocity" and vowed revenge. The unnamed American submarine sank the *Moudge* class frigate IRIS *Dena* in the Indian Ocean near the island of Sri Lanka. Our sister site [*Task & Purpose* has reported]() that a *Los Angeles* class submarine was responsible. Regardless, it is was the first sinking by a U.S. Navy submarine [since World War II](). "Mark my words," he stated on X. "The U.S. will come to bitterly regret \[the\] precedent it has set." https://twitter.com/araghchi/status/2029435610922996100?s=20 The Indian government has also now released a statement with details about the rescue effort after the IRIS *Dena* was torpedoed. https://twitter.com/NayanimaBasu/status/2029562981470839001 Satellite imagery collected today shows what appears to be oil on the surface of the water near Galle, Sri Lanka, which could be tied to the sinking of the IRIS *Dena*. https://twitter.com/detresfa_/status/2029527172268859773?s=20 Meanwhile, another Iranian ship is seeking shelter in Sri Lanka. "The Sri Lankan minister Nalinda Jayatissa told parliament that another Iranian vessel was sailing close to Sri Lanka’s territorial waters on Thursday morning," [*The Guardian* reported](). “We are making necessary interventions to resolve this issue, restrict the threat to lives and to ensure regional security." Unnamed sources told *The Guardian* that "the ship was a logistical pipe-laying vessel, which is not categorised as a warship. It may be as close as 10 nautical miles from the western coast of Sri Lanka, putting it within the country’s sovereign waters." https://twitter.com/SriLankaTweet/status/2029594180021018727 The sources told the news outlet that the ship, which is reported to have a crew of more than 100 onboard, "had made an urgent request to dock at Colombo port for engine repairs." *Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com* ## Author Howard is a Senior Staff Writer for *TWZ*. He writes frequently about conflict, focusing heavily on the Middle East and Ukraine, and interviews with military and intelligence officials and industry leaders from around the globe. He lives near Tampa, Florida, home of U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()