ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran has rejected a US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire, an informed source told the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) news agency on Friday. The proposal was conveyed to Tehran via a friendly country, but Iran decided not to respond in writing.
“Assessments indicate that the proposal came after an escalation of the crisis in the region and serious difficulties faced by U.S. military forces, following a miscalculation of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military capabilities,” the IRGC Farsnews reported. “According to the report, Iran’s response to the proposal was not delivered in writing, but rather through actions on the ground, continuing heavy attacks.”
The revelation came on Friday as news spread that a US F-15 fighter jet had been shot down by the IRGC in the south of the country. US forces launched a Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) operation and rescued one crew member alive, American media reported, citing US officials. The fate of the second crew member remains unknown.
The New York Times also reported that a second US military jet, believed to be an A-10 Warthog, went down in the Persian Gulf around the same time as the F-15, and the pilot was safely rescued.