A video shared by Tehran Times claims to show the moment a US F-35 fighter jet was hit during a combat mission over Iranian airspace. The clip shows the aircraft appearing to take damage, with explosions, smoke trails, and the jet veering off course mid-air.
A US F-35 fighter jet was attacked during an Iranian strike and forced to make an emergency landing at a military base in the Middle East, according to CNN. The claim, first made by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), would mark the first known instance of Iran hitting one of the US military’s most advanced and expensive aircraft in the ongoing conflict in Middle East.
According to the IRGC, the stealth jet was struck by air defence systems over central Iran in the early hours of Thursday. A video shared by Tehran Times claims to show the moment a US F-35 fighter jet was hit during a combat mission over Iranian airspace. The clip shows the aircraft appearing to take damage, with explosions, smoke trails, and the jet veering off course midair.
In a statement, the IRGC said it had "struck and seriously damaged" the aircraft at around 2.50 am (local time), adding that the jet’s fate remains unclear and that there is a "high possibility" it may have crashed. The group also said the operation followed the interception of more than 125 US-Israeli drones, calling it evidence of improvements in Iran’s air defence systems.
If confirmed, the incident would mark the first time Iran has successfully targeted an F-35, a fifth-generation fighter jet that costs more than $100 million and is considered a cornerstone of US air power. Both the US and Israel have been deploying F-35s extensively since the conflict escalated on February 28.
US CONFIRMS EMERGENCY LANDING, PLAYS DOWN DAMAGE
According to CNN, US Central Command said the aircraft was "flying a combat mission over Iran" when it was forced to make an emergency landing. "The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition," spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins told CNN. "This incident is under investigation."
However, Washington has not issued any official statement. The Pentagon said its operations are going as planned, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth saying the US is "winning decisively" and that Iran’s air defences have been "flattened".
Amid escalating conflict, at least 16 US aircraft have reportedly been destroyed since the start of the war, including 10 Reaper drones, while several others have been damaged in combat or accidents.
[ADDENDUM]
The actual video of the event, plus more, from The Hindustan Times:
Sorry about the downvote. I get your point, but I would counter that Iran is levels below us in technology. They should not be able to hit our planes absent some technological advances on their part, big ones. I suspect bad, arrogant orders put those planes in a reckless position.
But the F-35 was a shit show from the start. They demanded it be both a fighter and bomber and do everything, and it went over budget, over time, for what, two decades? I suspect it's not all it's cracked up to be, and bad reckless orders. Also they have kill switches in the ones they sell some countries. A fusible link that bricks it. As per the rumour.
They do have some interesting advances. E.g. loitering air defense missiles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/358_missile
Since F-35 does not use its radar while being stealthy, it would require an early warning from an AWACS about the loitering missile. But the missile is small. It gets pointed to an area and told (typical scenario) "there be helicopters somewhere there, go and see if you can find them". It cruises in economy mode and watches with presumbaly side-scanning sensors. If it sees a hot topic, it turns and goes from loitering mode to darting mode.