A second US F-35 fighter jet has been shot down in central Iran, Iranian semi-official Mehr News Agency claimed on Friday. It is unlikely that the pilot survived due to serious injuries. However, there has been no confirmation from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) yet.
The IRGC stated that the fighter jet was “completely destroyed and crashed” and that no information was available about the pilot due to the severe damage to the aircraft.
Earlier on March 2, CENTCOM confirmed three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles aircraft flying in support of Operation Epic Fury over Kuwait were shot due to a friendly fire incident.
"A second US fifth-generation F-35 was struck and downed over central Iran by a new IRGC Aerospace Force air-defense system," Iran embassy in India posted a statement from a spokesman of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters on X.
The aircraft is widely regarded as one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world.
Earlier in the day, Iran also fired missiles towards Israel, which the country’s military was working to intercept.
Israel’s military said in a statement that it had “identified missiles launched from Iran towards the territory of the State of Israel” and added that “defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat.”
