F-35 Makes Emergency Landing, Iran Asserts It Was Shot Down

Investigation into F-35A Emergency Landing

The U.S. is currently looking into an F-35A fighter jet that required an emergency landing following a combat mission over Iran.

An F-35 fighter jet from the U.S. Air Force had to make this emergency landing at a military base in the Middle East, as confirmed by a spokesperson from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Thursday.

CENTCOM acknowledged reports regarding the emergency landing, stating, “The aircraft landed safely and the pilot is in stable condition. The incident is under investigation.”

On the other hand, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has claimed that the jet was shot down, suggesting that “a crash is very likely.” They provided an infrared video that appears to show the aircraft being hit mid-air. The clip depicts a missile striking the plane, leading to an explosion. Interestingly, subsequent frames show the jet seemingly intact before the video concludes.

Iranian state media further asserted that the Revolutionary Guards employed a “modern air defense system” to target the F-35 at around 2:50 a.m. local time, claiming that the fighter jet’s current status is unknown and that a crash is likely.

However, neither Iran’s assertion nor the video evidence has been validated as of this writing. These claims regarding a potential crash seem to contradict CENTCOM’s statements about the aircraft landing “safely,” alongside the pilot being in a “stable condition.”

Currently, there have been no verified instances of Iran successfully intercepting U.S. or Israeli piloted aircraft within the operational area known as Operation Epic Fury. This suggests that U.S. efforts to suppress enemy air defense have been effective, enabling operations in airspace that still maintains some degree of uncontested characteristics. Of note, confirmed losses of friendly aircraft have primarily resulted from mutual fire incidents or mid-air collisions.

Moreover, the introduction of older, non-stealth aircraft like B-52s and A-10s in the region indicates a significant level of control over Iranian airspace.