Around ten F-16s reportedly flew close to Beijing’s air defense identification zone over the Yellow Sea
US and Chinese fighter jets faced off not far off the South Korean coast this week, according to local media outlets.
Approximately ten US Forces Korea (USFK) F-16 warplanes took off from Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek – about 60km south of Seoul – and flew over international waters in the Yellow Sea, the Korea Herald reported, citing multiple sources. The mission reportedly took place in the airspace between South Korea’s and China’s respective air defense identification zones.
As the F-16s approached the Chinese coast, Beijing scrambled its own jets to the area, the article said, without clarifying how many planes were involved. The outlet noted that “a brief aerial face-off” ensued, but given that neither side violated the other’s airspace, the situation did not escalate.
The paper also noted an “unusual” number of US jets in the air, adding that it could suggest that the exercise had been “aimed at signaling deterrence toward China.”
Yonhap news agency said that Washington had informed Seoul of the planned mission, but did not elaborate.
China’s Global Times acknowledged the incident, saying that Beijing’s military “organized sea and air forces to conduct continuous monitoring… and effectively responded to and handled the situation.”
The reported encounter comes after the US released a new National Defense Strategy in January that calls on South Korea to take “primary responsibility” for deterring North Korea, freeing US forces to refocus on countering China.
In 2023, the Pentagon released footage of more than 180 intercepts of US aircraft by Chinese jets over the East and South China Seas since 2021. In 2024, US media reports indicated that the number of encounters had dropped after Washington’s relations with Beijing improved.
Tensions between the two countries persist, however, most notably over the self-governing island of Taiwan. Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under control. China has also protested US arms shipments to the island and denounced visits by senior American officials to Taipei.
https://www.rt.com/news/632819-us-chinese-warplanes-faceoff/
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’ (IRGC) Intelligence Unit says Iran will consider the Israeli regime’s shelters “legitimate targets” if residential areas in the country come under attack.
In a post published on social media platform X on Tuesday, the IRGC said that any strikes on residential areas in Iran would give Iran’s armed forces the right to attack Israeli shelters in the occupied lands.
The IRGC stated that it has intelligence on the blueprints and the exact locations of these shelters.
Iran began its Operation True Promise 4 after the US and Israel launched their joint military aggression against the Islamic Republic in late February by assassinating Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, and several senior Iranian officials.
In its latest wave of attacks, the IRGC said it rained down missiles on the Israeli regime’s “secure” intelligence facilities in Tel Aviv.
Iranian armed forces have also pounded American military bases and ...
In a fresh wave of retaliatory strikes, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) targeted the Israeli regime’s “secure” intelligence facilities in Tel Aviv.
The IRGC’s Public Relations Department said in a statement on Tuesday that it had carried out the 79th wave of its ongoing retaliatory Operation True Promise 4 against the Israeli and American targets.
Deploying powerful Kheybar Shekan, Emad, and Sejjil missiles alongside IRGC Aerospace Force kamikaze drones, the operation successfully breached the regime's multi-layered air defense systems, the statement said.
The missiles, it stated, targeted Israel’s intelligence facilities in northern and central Tel Aviv, as well as military commercial and support centers in Ramat Gan and the Negev.
The missiles also hit Israel’s southern military logistics and command headquarters in Beersheba.
The missile strikes triggered widespread panic across Israel and forced the suspension of a Knesset (parliament) session on Tuesday.
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The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announces staging the 78th wave of its underway retaliatory Operation True Promise 4, targeting such highly sensitive Israeli targets as Dimona, Tel Aviv, and Eilat as well as several US military bases in the region.
In a statement on Tuesday, the IRGC described the latest phase of the operation as a significant development featuring missiles raining down on enemy targets as the nation was leveling momentous support behind the Islamic Republic by attending millions-strong rallies with "clenched fists."
'A distinct record'
The latest phase, it noted, "has set a distinct record in the timeline of the war."
According to the statement, targets in the occupied port of Eilat, Dimona, a heavily fortified city that hosts the Israeli regime's notorious nuclear reactor in its vicinity, and northern Tel Aviv were struck using Emad and multi-warhead Qadr missile systems along with attack drones.
This was the second time the Corps was hitting Dimona, ...
