U.S. F-35 Makes Emergency Landing After Being Hit During Operation Over Iran

[Financial News] A fifth-generation stealth fighter F-35 of the United States Armed Forces (U.S. military) was hit during combat with the Islamic Republic of Iran and forced to make an emergency landing. The U.S. military has not disclosed the extent of the damage, while the Iranian side is claiming it shot the jet down, intensifying the information war over the battlefield situation.
According to Cable News Network (CNN) and other outlets on the 19th (local time), the F-35 in question made an emergency landing at a U.S. air base in the Middle East after coming under fire believed to have been launched by Iranian forces. The fighter was reportedly conducting operations in the airspace of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the time.
Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), stated, "The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition," adding, "We are investigating the cause of the incident." The U.S. has not revealed specific details about the extent of the damage or how severely the jet was hit.
By contrast, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran (IRGC) claimed in a statement the same day that it had "shot down a U.S. F-35 with a new air-defense system." According to the state-run Fars News Agency, the IRGC said it struck the fighter at about 2:50 a.m. over central Iran. The IRGC asserted that the aircraft suffered catastrophic damage and likely crashed, but it has since been confirmed that the jet managed to carry out an emergency landing.
CNN noted that this incident could be the first confirmed case of a U.S. aircraft being directly hit since the U.S.-Iran war began late last month. The episode stands in contrast to Washington's previous claims that it had effectively neutralized Iran's air-defense network.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a battlefield briefing that "Iran's air-defense network has collapsed." Analysts now say the latest incident could raise questions about how firmly the U.S. actually controls the battlespace.
The F-35 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter that the United States of America (U.S.) and the State of Israel are deploying as a core asset in the current war, with each aircraft costing around 100 million dollars (about 149.2 billion won). If it is confirmed that this strategic asset, known for its stealth capabilities and precision-strike performance, was hit in real combat, the military and political repercussions are expected to be significant.

km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter