On Friday, an F-35 made an emergency landing at a US base in the Middle East after being struck during a mission over Iranian airspace.
The United States has fact-checked Iran’s claim that the Iranian military shot down a US F-15 and has confirmed that all American fighter jets deployed in the Middle East remain fully operational.
This clarification follows a claim by Iran’s state-run media, which asserted that the Islamic Republic’s air defense system had intercepted and shot down a US fighter jet near Hormuz Island using a surface-to-air missile during operations conducted against joint US-Israeli forces in the Middle East.
According to a report by the Tehran Times, the Iranian military intercepted a US F-15 off Iran’s southern coast before it was subsequently shot down near vital waterways.
The report characterized the incident as a successful engagement by the Iranian Air Defense Force against an enemy intrusion.
A video also surfaced on social media, purportedly showing the Iranian military intercepting a US F-15 fighter jet.
What the US Said
Dismissing the Iranian media reports, US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that Iran has not shot down any American combat aircraft across the more than 8,000 combat sorties conducted during Operation Epic Fury.
It stated: “False: Rumors claim that the Iranian government recently shot down a US F-15 over Iran.”
“True: US forces have flown over 8,000 combat sorties during Operation Epic Fury. Iran has not shot down any US combat aircraft.”
Iran Attacks US F-35 Stealth Fighter
However, following an incident on Friday in which an F-35 was targeted while operating within Iranian airspace, the aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at a U.S. base in the Middle East.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) claimed that their forces “attacked and inflicted severe damage” upon the U.S. stealth fighter.
According to a CNN report, the pilot survived the incident, and an investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the emergency landing.
This incident marked the first known instance in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East where Iran has targeted one of the U.S. military’s most advanced and expensive aircraft.
Tehran also claimed to have intercepted and shot down over 125 U.S. and Israeli drones—a feat that highlights significant upgrades to its integrated air defense network.