Several passengers injured after US fighter jets come close to Iranian passenger plane

Several passengers are reported injured after allegedly “two hostile US army fighter jets came close to an Iranian passenger plane over the Syrian airspace, forcing the pilot to make a sudden change of direction and altitude to avoid a collision”.

 

Fars News Agency , considered the semi official news agency of Iran, however, said that initial reports suggested that “two Israeli fighter jets approached a Mahan Air Tehran-Beirut flight over the Syrian sky in a highly risky move and the captain of the Iranian passenger plane was forced to make a sudden change of direction and altitude, causing several injuries”.

 

However , later according to the Fars News Agency , “the captain of Mahan Air Flight No. 1152 said the



pilots of the two hostile planes have identified themselves as US army pilots during a radio contact”.

 

Reuters quoting an airport source later reported that the Mahar Air aircraft en route from Tehran to Beirut landed safely, in the Lebanese capital.

 

There are no official statements, so far, from Israel or the US regarding the incident.

 

Relations between the US and Iran have worsened over the last one year. 

After the killing of top military commander General Soleimani in a drone strike by the US this January , the strain between the two countries are more than visible with Iran avowing ‘ severe revenge’ for his death.