As the tensions in the Middle East continue causing a global uncertainty, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday claimed that it has “attacked” and “damaged” a fifth generation F-35 fighter jet of the US military. It claimed that the F-35A/B Lightning ll was shot with a surface-to-air missile (SAM) over the skies of Iran.
The Iranian state media has also released a video showing the moment when the fifth generation stealth fighter aircraft was shot over the Iranian airspace. However, India TV Digital cannot independently verify the veracity of the video.ย
The incident forced the fighter jet, which was “flying a combat mission over Iran”, make an emergency landing, said the US Central Command, adding that a probe is currently underway. It noted that the aircraft had landed safely, while adding that the pilot is safe and his condition is stable.
If Iran’s claims are to be true, then it would be a massive setback for the US military as it would be the first time when a F-35, a fight generation stealth which has a price tag of more than USD 100 million, has been damaged during a conflict. In addition, this would also be the first time that Iran has damaged a US fighter jet after the beginning of the war in the Middle East.
Iran’s claim of damaging an F-35 fighter jet also come on a day when US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that there is no “time frame” for ending the conflict in the Middle East, as he asserted that Washington will end the conflict on its term. He further asserted that the US is “very much on track” to achieving its goals in Iran.
“We wouldn’t want to set a definitive time frame,” he said at a press briefing. “It will be at the president’s choosing, ultimately, where we say, ‘Hey, we’ve achieved what we need to’.”
He also said that the Trump administration has requested for an additional USD 200 billion from the Congress to “kill the bad guys” in the war. “We’re going back to Congress and folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded for what’s been done, for what we may have to do in the future,” he said.
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