The stealth aircraft has reportedly sustained damage but managed to make an emergency landing, according to American media reports.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed it successfully targeted a US F-35 fighter jet with anti-aircraft fire and has circulated video purportedly showing the plane sustaining a hit.
The claims have been corroborated by CNN, which suggested the aircraft sustained damage but was able to make an emergency landing at an American airbase in the region.
“The fate of the fighter jet is unclear and under investigation, and the likelihood of its crash is very high,” the IRGC said in a statement, adding that more than 125 US and Israeli long-range drones have been intercepted during the war.
Thermal footage released by the IRGC shows a silhouette of a plane, appearing to match that of a F-35, hit by an unknown projectile. Footage abruptly cuts off after the hit.
The US Central Command has acknowledged the incident, stating the aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing while “flying a combat mission over Iran.” The command neither confirmed nor denied whether the plane was hit by ground fire.
“The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition. This incident is under investigation.” spokesperson for US Central Command Capt. Tim Hawkins has said.
Two sources familiar with the incident, however, told CNN that the aircraft was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire.
The projectile used to strike the US aircraft appears to be what is called ‘missile 358,’ also known as SA-67, a homegrown Iranian surface-to-air missile introduced in the late 2010s. It is believed to combine properties of conventional anti-aircraft projectiles and long-range drones, and is supposedly capable of staying in the air for extended periods of time acting as a loitering munition and waiting for a target to strike.
The incident is the first confirmed interception of an F-35 during the ongoing war. The planes, which cost some $100 million each on average, have been extensively used by both the US and Israel for attacks on Iran.
