Iran claims F-35 hit, US reports emergency landing

An incident involving a US F-35 fighter jet over Iran has prompted conflicting accounts. Two CNN sources say the aircraft made an emergency landing at a US airbase in the Middle East after being hit by gunfire, possibly from Iran.

A spokesman for US Central Command (CENTCOM), Tim Hawkins, said the aircraft was ‘conducting a combat mission over Iran’ when it was forced to make the emergency landing. The landing was carried out safely, the pilot is in stable condition and the incident is under investigation.

Iranian media, however, have presented a different version, claiming the aircraft was shot down and releasing video of the alleged hit. The footage has not been independently verified.

If confirmed, the incident would mark the first documented case of a successful Iranian attack on an F-35, one of the US military’s most advanced aircraft, worth around $100 million.

(pir, cnn)