Iran Maps US Fighter Jet and Bomber Flight Patterns as Air Defences Grow More Potent

Iran’s military has reportedly mapped the flight patterns of United States fighter jets and bomber aircraft, allowing Tehran to build a far more effective air defence system capable of countering future US air strikes. The disclosure was reported by The New York Times (NYT), citing a senior US military official as relayed by the Lebanese-based broadcaster Al Mayadeen, on Tuesday (19 May 2026). The official added that Tehran also exploited the ceasefire momentum to evacuate missiles and launchers from positions that had previously been bombed by coalition forces.

According to the source, Iranian military commanders — who are strongly believed to have received technical assistance from Russia — have been intensively analysing the routes and flight profiles of US fighter jets and bombers, including the fleets involved in recent air strikes. He warned that the incident of a US F-15E fighter jet being shot down last month, as well as ground-fire targeting stealth F-35 jets, serve as tangible evidence that US air tactics have become highly predictable. The gap is being exploited by Iran to craft a more efficient defensive strategy.