[74062] CENTCOM denies: Iran did not shoot down an American aircraft over Bushehr

A sweeping American denial

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) issued an official statement today, May 29, 2026, in which it firmly denies the reports circulated by Iranian media outlets regarding the downing of an American aircraft near the city of Bushehr.

According to a report by DW Persian دویچه‌‌وله فارسی, a media outlet identified with a moderate international stance that covers the Middle East from a broad perspective, the American command clarified that "the claim by Iranian state media, that its armed forces shot down an American aircraft near Bushehr, is false." CENTCOM further noted that "all US equipment and aerial assets are safe and secure."

The background to the Iranian claims

The American reports follow a controversial statement by Iranian officials. As reported in اخبارفوری خبرفوری جنگ امریکا فوری and اخبارفوری خبرفوری جنگ امریکا حمله — Telegram channels with a distinct pro-Iranian orientation that emphasize narratives of conflict with the West — it was initially claimed that no American aircraft had indeed been shot down, this after local officials, including Masoud Tangestani, governor of the Jam region in Bushehr, claimed during a live broadcast on state television that a "hostile aircraft was attacked" in the skies over the region.

The gap between the narrative of خبری پلاس, which reported on CENTCOM's denial of the Iranian claim, and the initial report by the governor of Jam, highlights the ongoing intelligence and media tensions in the Persian Gulf region. As of now, the US military stands by its position that the reported incident never occurred.