A US F‑35 fighter jet was struck by suspected Iranian fire during a combat mission over Iran, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing at a US air base in the Middle East, reported NDTV. A video of the incident has been making rounds ever since the incident.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) separately claimed responsibility for striking the aircraft. In a statement, the IRGC said its air defence systems hit the US F‑35 over central Iran early on Thursday, at around 2.50 a.m. local time, and asserted that the jet was 'seriously damaged.' The IRGC also claimed there was a “high possibility” the aircraft may have crashed, a claim not supported by US officials.
A video circulating online purports to show the moment the US stealth fighter was hit during a combat mission over Iranian airspace. The grainy footage appears to show an explosion followed by a smoke trail as the aircraft veers off course midair. The authenticity of the video has not been independently verified.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the fifth‑generation stealth aircraft was flying over Iranian territory when it was hit by what is believed to have been Iranian air defence fire. The jet landed safely, and the pilot was reported to be in stable condition.
"The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition," Captain Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesperson, said in a statement. He declined to confirm media reports from outlets including ABC and CNN, adding that the incident remains under investigation.
The United States has lost several aircraft since hostilities escalated, including three F‑15 fighter jets mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti forces and a KC‑135 refuelling aircraft that crashed in Iraq. However, none of those losses were attributed to Iranian fire.
Since the start of the operation on February 28, at least 13 US service members have been killed, according to US military figures. Six died in the KC‑135 crash, while seven were killed in Iranian attacks during the early stages of the conflict.
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