Tehran: Iran has claimed to have struck a US F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter with an air defence missile, marking the first instance of the advanced fifth-generation aircraft coming under such attack.
The F-35 is one of the most valuable US aircraft and the backbone of the US’s fifth-generation warfighting capabilities.
This Iranian claim came shortly after the White House said in an X post that the F-35 represents “decisive American power”.
The US aircraft was hit in central Iran’s airspace, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said. A purported video of the reported hit is also circulating on social media, and was also shared on the official X handle of the Iran consulate general in Mumbai, as reported by Hindustan Times.
“The fate of the fighter jet is unclear and under investigation, and the likelihood of its crash is very high,” the IRGC said, adding that the aircraft was struck at 2.50 am local time by its advanced, modern air defence systems.
US defence officials were cited by CNN as saying that an F-35 did perform an emergency landing after an Iranian surface-to-air missile (SAM) barrage, with the pilot safe and an investigation underway.
The jet made an emergency landing at a US air base in West Asia after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, the report noted.
Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for US Central Command (CENTCOM), confirmed to CNN that the aircraft had been on an operational mission when the incident occurred. He said the jet was “flying a combat mission over Iran” when it was forced to land.
“The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition. This incident is under investigation,” Hawkins added.
The aircraft is among the most advanced in the world and costs upwards of $100 million. Both the United States and Israel have been deploying F-35 fighter jets in the war.
The interception follows the successful downing of more than 125 US-Israeli drones by Iran’s defence systems, signalling significant and purposeful upgrades in the country’s integrated air defence network, the IRGC has said.
The US has lost other air assets in the ongoing conflict. These include three F-15 jets that were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences. All six crew members ejected safely.
On another incident, a KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq. The cause of the crash remains unclear. The US military said the incident was “not due to hostile or friendly fire.”
All six crew members on board the KC-135 were killed.
US officials have, however, maintained that their overall campaign remains on track. Senior leaders have continued to project confidence, even as the conflict enters its third week.
The country’s defense secretary Pete Hegseth proclaimed on Thursday that the US is “winning decisively” and claimed that Iran’s air defence systems have been “flattened”.
