New Delhi: A US F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at an American base in the Middle East after it was allegedly hit by suspected Iranian fire, a US Central Command spokesperson said. The F-35 Lightining II was struck while it was carrying out a “combat mission over Iran”.
US Central Command spokesperson Capt Tim Hawkins said that the aircraft made a safe landing and the probe has been launched into the incident.
“The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition. This incident is under investigation,” Hawkins said, CNN reported.
If confirmed, this would be the first time that such an advanced US aircraft was hit by Iran since the conflict began in February. The F-35, one of the most advanced fighter jets in service, costs around USD 100 million.
As the war in the Middle East intensifies, the US and Israel have stepped up the deployment of F-35 jets.
A Bloomberg report claimed that the US military has lost at least 16 aircraft since the beginning of the Iran war on February 28. The aircraft destroyed and damaged in attacks or accidents include 10 Reaper drones and 6 other planes.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he did not drag the United States into the conflict. “Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do?” he said. Addressing a press conference on Thursday, he also claimed that Iran has lost the capacity to enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles after 20 days of US-Israeli air attacks.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Thursday said that Iran will face the “largest strike package yet”, asserting that the United States is winning the ongoing conflict “decisively and on our terms”.