Iran claims it struck US F-35 fighter jet over central Iran, US says pilot made emergency landing

TEHRAN: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Thursday that it had struck and "seriously damaged" a US F-35 fighter jet flying over central Iran, while the US military offered a contrasting account, stating that the aircraft conducted an emergency landing after a combat mission.

IRGC's account of the incident

In a statement, the IRGC said its air defence systems hit the American stealth fighter jet at around 2:50am local time on Thursday (2320 GMT Wednesday night). The statement said that "a US F-35 fighter jet was struck and seriously damaged" over central Iran.

The IRGC added that "the fate of the aircraft remains unknown and is under investigation," noting there is a "high possibility" that the jet may have crashed.

The Iranian military force also said the operation came "following the successful interception of more than 125 US-Israeli drones." The IRGC further stated that the incident "reflects significant and targeted improvements in the country's integrated air defence systems."

US military's version

The US military, meanwhile, offered a different account of events. In a statement, it said that a US F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing after flying a combat mission over Iran. The military said the pilot was in stable condition.

The two accounts present markedly different narratives of the same incident — with Iran claiming its air defences struck and potentially downed the advanced American fighter jet, while the United States acknowledged an emergency landing but did not confirm that the aircraft was hit by Iranian fire.

Escalating tensions

The incident comes amid heightened military tensions in the region, with the IRGC's reference to the interception of over 125 US-Israeli drones suggesting an intensified aerial confrontation between the opposing forces.

The F-35 is one of the most advanced stealth fighter jets in the US military's arsenal, and any confirmed strike against such an aircraft would represent a significant development in the ongoing conflict. The differing accounts from Tehran and Washington regarding the fate and circumstances of the jet underscore the fog of war surrounding the incident, with neither side's claims independently verified at this stage.