American F-15 shakes Iranian aircraft, flies passengers: What happened to the Syrian sky?

Several passengers on an Iranian plane were injured in the sky over Syria after the pilot suddenly changed altitude to avoid a crash with an American fighter plane, Iranian media reported, while the US Army said their F-15 held a safe distance.

The plane, which belongs to the Mahan Air airline, was flying from Tehran to Beirut when the pilot carried out the maneuver at an event that Iranian authorities, as they say, will investigate.

Tensions between Iran and the United States began to rise after President Trump withdrew his country from the nuclear agreement with Iran and imposed strict sanctions on Tehran.

The Iranian official agency IRIB cited the words of one of the passengers, who said he was hit in the head when the plane began to descend unexpectedly.

I don't know what happened. A black plane approached, and ours lost balance. I jumped from the seat and hit the ceiling,” said an unnamed passenger.

It was a fighter plane. It terrified us. We lost our balance and started to jump into the air,” said another passenger.

The US Central Command, which monitors American troops in the region, announced that the F-15 was conducting a visual inspection of the Iranian aircraft when it came near the Tanf garrison in Syria, where American forces are present.

Captain Bill Urban, a senior command spokesman, said the F-15 conducted a standard inspection of the aircraft at a safe distance of about 1,000 meters.

The inspection was conducted to protect the security of coalition forces in the Tanf garrison,”, he said.

When our pilot identified the plane as passengers in Mahan Air, F-15 kept a safe distance,” he added, stressing that the inspection was conducted in line with international standards.

Airplanes at these altitudes must keep a distance of at least 600 meters in order not to hit each other, even though they may be subject to turbulence.

After the incident, Iran's Foreign Ministry sent a protest note to the Swiss Embassy, which represents US interests in Iran.

Israel and the United States have long accused Mahan Air of transporting weapons to Syria, which has Iran's backing.

The United States imposed sanctions on this company in 2011, with the explanation that it offers financial and other support for Iran Revolutionary Guard.