Iran Reports Damage to US F-35, Pentagon Responds
Iran claims its air defenses hit a US F-35, while the Pentagon says the jet landed safely after damage during a mission in the Middle East.
Tehran claimed that a US fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet was hit during the conflict. According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the aircraft sustained serious damage. Iranian state media described the incident as strategically comparable to the destruction of a warship.
At the same time, US Central Command confirmed that an incident occurred but stated that the damage was not critical. According to the American side, the aircraft remained operational and successfully landed, while the pilot is in stable condition. An investigation into the incident is underway.
Reports indicate that the F-35 was on a combat mission when it was damaged in the air and was forced to make an emergency landing at a Middle Eastern airbase. It is assumed that the aircraft may have been hit by a missile.
The IRGC also released footage that it claims shows the moment of the strike. According to Iran’s version, the attack was carried out by air defense systems in central Iran during the night.
It remains unclear which specific air defense system was used. Iran operates both domestically produced systems and Russian- and Chinese-made air defense complexes.
Earlier reports indicated that Iran’s long-range radar system «Rezonans-NE» is capable of detecting low-observable targets such as the F-35. Such systems can identify stealth aircraft in advance and improve the effectiveness of air defense systems in engaging them.