Srilanka, April 5 -- Iran claimed on Sunday that it shot down a US C-130 support aircraft in the southern area of Isfahan.

The plane was destroyed "by heavy fire from a police special forces unit," the semi-official Tasnim News Agency claimed, citing Iranian police.

Some initial US reports on social media claimed that during the process of rescuing the second crew member of an F-15 fighter jet downed over Iran, US forces blew up their own plane rather than let it "fall into Iranian hands."

No official statement has yet been issued by the US regarding the Iranian claims.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. Iran has also restricted...