The small agricultural village of Parzan, located near Shahreza in Isfahan province, Iran, had largely avoided the impacts of the ongoing US-Israeli conflict, which has now entered its second month. This changed dramatically when several US military aircraft landed on a makeshift airstrip in close proximity to the community.
Amir, a local farmer in his 50s who requested anonymity for safety reasons, recounted, “I began to hear the sounds of planes and helicopters around midnight. They appeared to be circling overhead, followed by explosions.” He added, “A neighbor ventured out into the desert to investigate but quickly returned after his vehicle was struck and damaged. That prompted us to contact the police. The night was filled with explosions and heavy gunfire, making it impossible to sleep.”
Residents of the village, who observed portions of the unfolding events, expressed their shock and grief, stating that the incident resulted in fatalities.
On Monday evening, municipal employees and members of the Iranian military were engaged in clearing the wreckage of two US C-130 Hercules military transport planes and at least two helicopters that had been destroyed hours earlier. The remnants were scattered across the remote airstrip, which is typically used for agricultural purposes, following a complex two-day US mission to rescue two airmen from an F-15 fighter jet that was shot down by Iran two days prior.
“A civilian pickup truck happened to be passing by and was also attacked. Fortunately, everyone inside managed to escape unharmed,” Amir stated as he observed the recovery efforts near the wreckage.
In the early hours of Sunday, Donald Trump announced from Washington that the two US airmen had been successfully rescued through a complicated operation involving a total of 155 aircraft, which included bombers, fighters, refueling tankers, and rescue helicopters.
The United States reported that the helicopters and C-130s were destroyed after one of the aircraft became incapacitated on the ground, asserting that they had not been subjected to enemy fire.
Conversely, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for the destruction of the two C-130 aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters during the operation. Military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari commented, “The alleged US military rescue mission, which was purportedly a deception for an escape at an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan, was entirely thwarted.”
An anonymous Iranian military officer revealed that a friend had lost his life during the events. “He was on duty when local residents reported seeing several planes land. While responding to the area, they came under fire, resulting in my friend’s death. During the operation, Iranian forces struck one of the C-130s, which prevented it from taking off,” the officer recounted.
As recovery efforts continued outside Shahreza, cranes were seen lifting heavy debris onto trucks, while workers collected smaller remnants scattered across the desert plain, situated about an hour south of Isfahan’s provincial capital.
In Washington, Trump intensified his rhetoric against Iran, issuing a warning of severe consequences if the country did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his set deadline of Tuesday.
