CLOSE CALL

U.S. Fighter Jet Comes Close to Iranian Passenger Plane Over Syria, Causing Pilot to Dodge

The pilot was forced to dodge quickly, injuring several passengers, according to Iranian state media.

A U.S. F-15 fighter jet reportedly came very close to an Iranian passenger jet flying in Syrian air space Thursday, forcing the pilot to dramatically change altitude, which injured several passengers, NBC News reports. Footage shot onboard the Mahan Air flight by an Iranian state television reporter showed a commotion, including the sound of people screaming, a man with blood on his face, and another who seemed in shock. At least one distraught passenger in the video is shown wearing an inflatable life vest. The pilots made an emergency landing in Lebanon. Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, claimed the move was not an act of aggression, saying in a statement that the fighter jet conducted a visual inspection at a “safe distance.” On Friday, Tehran filed an official complaint with the UN’s civil aviation agency over the incident.