IN A SCARE, U.S. FIGHTERS FLY BY IRAN AIRLINER

TEHRAN: Two American jets flew dangerously close to an Iranian passenger plane over war-torn Syria, forcing the pilot to take emergency action and sparking panic on board, Iranian authorities said on Friday. Tehran has reported the matter to the UN.

Iranian state TV aired amateur footage of passengers on board screaming as the Mahan Air jetliner appeared to change course suddenly. Another video apparently shot on a phone appeared to show two fighter jets flying beside the plane.

The US military said of Thursday’s incident that an “F-15 on a routine air mission... conducted a standard visual inspection of a Mahan Air passenger airliner at a safe distance of approximately 1,000 metres”.

Iran’s IRNA news agency said the Mahan Air pilot made contact on the radio with two US fighter planes, while the jet later landed safely in Beirut.