US F-35 hit by Iranian missile as jet makes emergency landing. Here's what we know

A US F-35 fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing at a US air base in the Middle East after reportedly being struck by suspected Iranian fire, according to two sources familiar with the situation. Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, said the fifth-generation stealth jet was “flying a combat mission over Iran” when it encountered trouble and had to land.

Hawkins confirmed the aircraft landed safely and that an investigation is underway. “The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition,” he said. “This incident is under investigation.” If confirmed, the strike would mark the first instance of Iran successfully hitting a US aircraft since the conflict began in late February. Both US and Israeli forces have been deploying F-35 jets in the ongoing war, with each aircraft valued at over $100 million. The emergency landing comes amid continued claims of success from senior US officials. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that the US is “winning decisively” and that Iran’s air defense systems have been “flattened.”

Watch the video here released by Iran

Meanwhile, a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Public Relations read, “The F-35 strategic fighter of the US army was hit and seriously damaged in the central sky of Iran at 2:50 AM today by the IRGC’s advanced modern aerospace defense system. The fate of this fighter is unknown and is under investigation, and the possibility of its crash is high. After the successful hunting of more than 125 US-Israeli aggressor drones by Iran’s defense systems, this successful interception shows effective and targeted changes in the country’s integrated defense systems.”

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.