US Confirms F-35 Damaged by Enemy Fire Over Iran

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, data released by the Mehr News Agency, citing CNBC, indicates that a U.S. Department of Defense Inspector General report to Congress revealed an F-35A fifth-generation fighter jet was damaged by “enemy fire” during a combat mission over Iran. This incident was previously characterized by U.S. officials solely as an “emergency landing.”.

This report marks the first recorded instance of combat damage to an F-35 fighter jet during military operations. Captain Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesperson, had earlier stated that the fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing at a U.S. base in the region while conducting a combat mission over Iran, with both the aircraft and the pilot landing safely. He had mentioned the pilot was in stable condition and the cause of the incident was under investigation but had not commented on the possibility of the aircraft being hit by Iranian fire.

The new Inspector General’s report now lists the fighter jet among aircraft damaged by “enemy fire.”

The report also indicates that by the end of June, four F-15E fighter jets and one A-10 attack aircraft had been destroyed. Seven KC-135 refueling aircraft sustained damage or were destroyed. According to the report, several helicopters and over 30 U.S. drones have also been lost or damaged during the conflict.

The U.S. Air Force has stated the value of each F-35A is approximately $92 million. The price of an F-15E in 1998 was around $31.1 million.

The Pentagon, by releasing an official report, has exposed the falsehoods of Trump and U.S. officials regarding the war against Iran.