The plane, which was en route from Tehran, continued on to Beirut as planned after the incident.
Tehran, Iran:
The United States said Thursday it intercepted an Iranian airliner as it flew over Syria, after Iranian state television accused Israel of being behind the meeting.
US Central Command, which oversees US operations in the Middle East, said an “F-15 on a routine air mission … performed a standard visual inspection of a Mahan Air airliner from a distance about 1000 meters from the airliner. “
“Once the F-15 pilot identified the plane as a Mahan Air passenger plane, the F-15 safely opened from a distance from the plane,” Centcom said.
He added: “The professional interception was carried out in accordance with international standards.”
The US statement came after the IRIB TV channel broadcast amateur footage of screaming passengers on board as the Mahan Air airliner appeared to suddenly change course.
Another video apparently shot on a phone appears to show at least two fighter jets flying alongside the plane.
“While the (Iranian) plane was in the sky over Syria, the Zionist regime’s fighter plane approached the Mahan Airlines plane,” the IRIB website reported. .
“Following this dangerous action by the Israeli fighter, the pilot of the commercial aircraft quickly reduced the altitude of the flight to avoid colliding with the Israeli fighter, injuring several passengers on board.”
The IRIB report called the incident “provocative and dangerous”.
Syrian TV and the state-run SANA news agency, citing civil aviation sources, said that “planes suspected of belonging to the US-led coalition intercepted an Iranian civilian plane in space Syrian air force from the Tanaf region, which forced the captain to undertake a strong fall which led to minor injuries among the passengers. “
The plane, which was en route from Tehran, continued on to Beirut as planned after the incident, the sources added.
Israel has launched hundreds of strikes in Syria since the country’s civil war began in 2011.
He targeted Syrian government troops, reportedly allied Iranian forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, claiming his aim was to end Tehran’s military presence in Syria.
He rarely confirms details of his operations in Syria.
The nine-year conflict in Syria killed more than 380,000 people and displaced more than half of the country’s population before the war.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
