{"id":61372,"date":"2026-03-19T20:56:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T20:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/?p=61372"},"modified":"2026-03-20T07:31:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T07:31:34","slug":"us-f-35-stealth-fighter-jet-first-time-hit-emergency-landing-struck-by-suspected-iranian-missile-two-drones-shot-in-tehran-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/us-f-35-stealth-fighter-jet-first-time-hit-emergency-landing-struck-by-suspected-iranian-missile-two-drones-shot-in-tehran-space\/","title":{"rendered":"US F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet First Time Hit | Emergency Landing | Struck by Suspected Iranian Missile | Two Drones Shot in Tehran Space"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Middle East Monitoring Desk Islamabad<\/strong><\/div>\n
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A U.S. F-35 stealth fighter was forced to make an emergency landing at a Middle East base after being struck by suspected Iranian surface-to-air fire during a combat mission over Iran, according to sources cited by CNN. The pilot landed safely and is in stable condition.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Jarusalem Post reported, this would be the first time Iran has hit a US aircraft in the war. Both the US and Israel are using F-35s, which are fifth-generation stealth jets costing upwards of $100 million.<\/h5>\n
A US\u00a0F-35 fighter jet\u00a0was forced to make an emergency landing at a US air base in the Middle East after being struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, CNN reported on Thursday, citing two sources familiar with the matter.<\/section>\n
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Iranian media claimed the IRGC was behind the hit shortly after.<\/p>\n

According to Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for\u00a0US Central Command, the F-35 was “flying a combat mission over Iran” when it was struck and was forced to make an emergency landing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n

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\"\"The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said it has shot down an Orbiter and a Heron drone, both armed, in the airspace of Iranian capital Tehran and Karaj, and has also intercepted a cruise missile in Qazvin.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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In a statement on Thursday, the IRGC announced that an Orbiter UAV was targeted and destroyed in the airspace of Tehran at 23:50 local time on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

It noted that an advanced Heron drone was also intercepted and shot down in the skies over Nazarabad in Karaj. The IRGC said both of the military drones were armed and were shot down before any operation against Iran.<\/p>\n

The IRGC added that its advanced modern air defense system has intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile in Koohin at Qazvin Province. It said the interception was carried out under the control of the integrated air defense network of Iran.<\/p>\n

Earlier on 02 March, a US F-15 aircraft was hit by the Iranian Army\u2019s Air Defense Unit. Iran\u2019s Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters on Monday\u00a0 had announced the downing of three US fighter jets by Iranian homegrown air defense systems.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since then, various photos of US aircraft that have been targeted and their pilots who ejected before the warplanes crashed. Photos and footage showing the jet\u2019s descent and crash into Kuwaiti soil were published both in social media and multiple media websites.<\/p>\n

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At least 16 US military aircraft have been lost since the start of the war with Iran, including 10 Reaper strike drones hit by enemy fire and a half-dozen other planes badly damaged in attacks or accidents.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bloomberg published a report by Gerry Doyle\u00a0and\u00a0Courtney McBride : The most serious losses were because of accidents:\u00a0three US F-15s downed by friendly fire\u00a0in Kuwait, and a\u00a0KC-135 tanker destroyed\u00a0during a refueling operation. All six crew members on the tanker were killed in the accident.<\/p>\n

Five other\u00a0KC-135s were reportedly damaged\u00a0by an Iranian missile strike while parked at an airfield in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n

So far only the uncrewed Reapers have been brought down by Iranian defenses, with at least nine being destroyed in the air, according to a person familiar with the matter. One was hit at an airfield in Jordan by a ballistic missile, people familiar with the matter said.<\/p>\n

The other two Reapers were lost to accidents. The drones are meant to be \u201cattritable\u201d \u2014 flown in higher-risk areas because they don\u2019t carry pilots and are much cheaper to replace than a crewed plane.<\/p>\n

A US F-35 stealth jet was forced to make an emergency landing at an airbase in the Middle East after a combat mission on Thursday, according to US Central Command. The plane\u2019s pilot is in stable condition and the incident is being investigated, CENTCOM said.<\/p>\n

The warplanes have been used in combat since their introduction about 10 years ago, but none is known to have been hit by enemy fire.<\/p>\n

Iran operates the infrared-guided 358 surface-to-air missile, which has a small, mobile launcher. They can hit targets at altitudes up to 25,000 feet and, because they have no radars, aircraft will have no warning they are being tracked. They were a threat to US planes in last year\u2019s campaign over Yemen.<\/p>\n

IRAN HALT ATTACKS ON REGIONAL STATES | REFRAIN FROM CLOSING NAVIGATION IN HORMUZ | RIYADH FMs MEETING | JOINT STATEMENT<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n