A US F-35 stealth fighter jet made an emergency landing at a base in the Middle East after flying a combat mission over Iran, a military official confirmed on Thursday.
“We are aware of reports that a US F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing at a regional US airbase after flying a combat mission over Iran,” said Cpt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command.
“The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition. This incident is under investigation,” Hawkins added.
CNN reported earlier that the F-35 was struck by what appeared to be Iranian fire. US Central Command, which oversees Middle East operations, declined to provide additional information.
The reported engagement would mark the first time that Iran has managed to hit a US aircraft with surface-to-air munitions. Pentagon leadership said previously that American forces have secured air superiority over Iran, but that doesn’t eliminate risks.
The emergency landing comes a week after a US KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, killing all six crew members.
CENTCOM said that a second, unidentified plane involved in the incident, which was not due to friendly or hostile fire, landed safely.
Beyond the tanker loss, three American F-15E fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in what the military described as “an apparent friendly fire incident” during the opening weekend of Operation Epic Fury. All six crew members involved ejected safely from their jets.
At least 13 US service members have been killed and roughly 200 wounded, including some seriously, since the start of combat operations against Iran on February 28. Most of the injured troops have returned to duty.
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