USA29 May, 20262 min read
CENTCOM Denies US Aircraft Shot Down Near Iran’s Bushehr, Citing All Assets Accounted
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CENTCOM: no U.S. aircraft shot down; all air assets accounted for. Iran claims to have shot down a U.S. F-35 near Bushehr.
The Jerusalem Post was read line by line by the Watchdog: 3.4. See the score →
CENTCOM Rejects Downing
The United States denied reports that an American aircraft was shot down over Iran’s Bushehr province, after Iranian media reported a “hostile aircraft” was intercepted and downed in the Jam area of Bushehr province early Friday (May 29).
“No U.S. aircraft were shot down. All U.S. air assets are accounted for.”
CENTCOM rejected the claim, writing on X, “No U.S. aircraft were shot down. All U.S. air assets are accounted for.”
Iran’s state TV, citing Jam Governor Masoud Tangestani, said the incident involved the downing of a hostile aircraft, with semi-official Tasnim news agency quoting Tangestani as saying, “The incident tonight involved the downing of a hostile aircraft,”.
The dispute unfolded as reports circulated about a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and begin negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, while U.S. President Donald Trump had yet to give final approval, per Axios.
Negotiations and Warnings
The conflicting accounts arrived alongside discussion of a reported 60-day memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, with Axios saying it would extend a ceasefire and begin negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Thursday (May 28) that “We’re going back and forth on a couple of language points. We've made a lot of progress here,” as he said discussions were continuing and that Trump’s endorsement could come if remaining concerns were resolved.
Vance also warned that key disagreements remain over Tehran’s nuclear programme and stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and he said “I can’t guarantee that we’re going to get there, but right now I feel pretty good about it,”.
In parallel, the Jerusalem Post described the same core dispute—Bushehr governor Masoud Tangestani citing Iranian state TV that a U.S. aircraft was destroyed in Jam governorate, while U.S. Central Command announced “No US aircraft were shot down near Bushehr, Iran”.
Air Assets, Escalation Risk
While CENTCOM insisted that “No U.S. aircraft were shot down. All U.S. air assets are accounted for,” the Newsweek account said the conflicting accounts were tied to the reported memorandum and to ongoing U.S.-Iran de-escalation talks.
“TRUTH: No U.S. aircraft were shot down. All U.S. air assets are accounted for.”
Newsweek also reported that a U.S. military official said American troops shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones “that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz,” and that an Iranian ground control station was struck as a fifth drone was getting ready to be launched.
In the same reporting, CENTCOM said earlier on Thursday that Iran reportedly violated the ceasefire after launching a ballistic missile toward Kuwait, which was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces, and the post on X described it as “This egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime.”
The Jerusalem Post further framed the dispute as highlighting threats to the “tenuous ceasefire between the US and Iran that took effect in early April,” and it noted that escalation in hostilities sent oil prices surging again.