Did Iran shoot down third Israeli F-35 jet? Tehran claims it captured two pilots after Israel slams earlier claims as 'fake news'

Iran has claimed that its air defence forces have shot down a third Israeli F-35 fighter jet amid ongoing military tensions. According to Iranian state media, the jet was taken down over western Iran, and the pilot was captured after ejecting.

This would be the third Israeli F-35 destroyed since hostilities began on Friday, according to Iran. The military said one of the earlier pilots had died, while the other was also taken into custody.

The Iranian army reportedly used its locally developed air defence systems to intercept the jets. The claim was also posted by Iran’s embassy in New Delhi on X, where it said: “Iran’s air defence forces have shot down two Israeli F-35 fighter jets and intercepted several hostile drones.”

Israel denies losing any aircraft

Israel has strongly rejected Iran’s claims. A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Avichay Adraee, said in a post in Arabic that the reports were “completely baseless.”

He added, “Fake Iranian media. This news being spread by Iranian media is completely baseless.”

There has been no independent verification of Iran’s statements, and no video or photographic evidence of downed jets has been released.

Escalating attacks between Iran and Israel

The claim comes amid a series of tit-for-tat attacks between Iran and Israel, which began after an Israeli airstrike on 13 June hit several nuclear and military sites inside Iran. The strike killed four senior military officers, including Major Generals Mohammad Bagheri and Hossein Salami.

Iranian media also reported that 78 civilians were killed, including women, children, and six nuclear scientists. Dozens more were wounded.

In retaliation, Iran has launched multiple drone and missile strikes. Israeli officials confirmed that their air force carried out strikes overnight targeting Iran’s surface-to-air missile defences near Tehran.

Nuclear talks between Iran and US called off

Amid the rising tensions, a planned round of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington has been cancelled. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced the decision on Saturday, saying: “The Iran-US talks scheduled to be held in Muscat this Sunday will not now take place.” He added that “diplomacy and dialogue remain the only pathway to lasting peace.”

The cancellation of talks comes as both sides trade accusations and airstrikes, raising fresh concerns about the future of diplomacy in the region.