President Donald Trump has repeatedly said the U.S. had obliterated Iran’s firepower, but a $100 million American fighter jet on Thursday made an emergency landing after being struck by what’s believed to be Iranian fire.
The F-35 made an emergency landing at the U.S. air base in the Middle East after being struck by Iranian fire, according to two sources to CNN.
U.S. Central Command confirmed that the stealth jet was flying a combat mission over Iran when it was forced to make an emergency landing.
“We are aware of reports that a U.S. F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing at a regional U.S airbase after flying a combat mission over Iran,” said U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command. “The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition. This incident is under investigation.”
If confirmed, this will be the first fighter jet hit by Iranian fire since the war began. Other emergency landings and aircraft crashes were not caused by Iranian fire.
It comes as Trump has insisted that the U.S. has demolished Iran’s firepower capabilities on multiple occasions.
While speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump repeated his claims about Iran being decimated, including insisting the U.S. was flying “wherever” it wanted.
“Their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their anti-aircraft equipment is gone,” Trump said.
“We’re flying wherever we want, Pete,” the president added, gesturing to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seated nearby. “We have nobody even shooting at us.”
Trump insisted during his Thursday appearance that Iran was “close to demolished” and all that was left to deal with was the Strait of Hormuz.
During his own briefing on Thursday morning, Hegseth said that Iran’s air defenses were being wiped out.
“We’re hunting and striking death and destruction from above. Iran’s air defenses flattened. Iran’s defense industrial base, the factories, the production lines that feed their missile and drone programs, are being overwhelmingly destroyed,” he declared.
The defense secretary said that the U.S. on Thursday was launching its largest strike package on Iran yet.
