A U.S. Air Force A-10C attack aircraft returned to the UK from a Middle East deployment bearing mission markings that appear to include two Iranian IRGC Navy fast-attack boats among its target tally, according to images circulating on social media. The aircraft carried multiple munitions and the markings are consistent with the A-10's role in recent operations against Iranian naval assets in the Persian Gulf.
New imagery circulating on social media shows a U.S. Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II, call sign and tail number not immediately identified, arriving at its base in the United Kingdom after a deployment to the Middle East. The aircraft's fuselage displays mission markings that prominently feature two Iranian IRGC Navy fast-attack boats — consistent with earlier unverified reports, covered by The Zioneer on June 11, of A-10s striking IRGC speedboats near Larak Island. The markings also suggest additional ground targets were engaged. The aircraft carried a loadout including precision-guided bombs, Maverick missiles, and Hydra rockets, with expended munitions visible. The return of the A-10 with confirmed kill markings bolsters previously single-source reporting that the Warthog was used in the anti-surface role during the U.S. campaign against Iranian naval forces in the Gulf, codenamed Operation Epic Fury.
As The Zioneer reported on June 11 and 13, multiple A-10s deployed to the region, and earlier unverified accounts had claimed one A-10 was lost over Iran during a rescue mission for a downed F-15E crew. This new visual evidence provides the first on-record confirmation of the A-10's engagement with IRGC naval assets, though the precise dates and locations of the strikes remain unspecified. No official U.S. military statement has been released confirming the mission markings or the specific engagements they represent.
2 developments
- DevelopingReport: US A-10 fighter jets attack IRGC speedboats near Larak Island
- DevelopingLoss of A-10C over Iran during rescue operation for downed F-15E crew, per unverified report
- StrongEight US strategic bombers land in Middle East from UK and Germany bases overnight
- DevelopingIRGC claims it fired SAM at US F-16 over Persian Gulf, forcing it to withdraw
Source and signal
- Internal intake