Iran Claims Second F-35 Stealth Fighter Shot Down, Pilot Possibly Captured

Iranian military forces have announced the destruction of a second American F-35 stealth fighter jet by their air defense systems. According to the statement, the aircraft crashed in central Iran.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the pilot of the downed fighter may have been captured by Iranian troops. Following the incident, U.S. Military reportedly deployed Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 Hercules aircraft in an unsuccessful rescue attempt.

The pilot is said to have ejected after the jet was hit by Iranian air defenses on Friday morning. Some media outlets report that a bounty has been announced in Iran for the pilot's capture alive.

This marks the second time Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed to have struck an F-35. The previous incident occurred on March 19, with Iran asserting the aircraft sustained serious damage. The Pentagon later confirmed an F-35 made an emergency landing at a Middle Eastern base following a combat mission.

Iranian authorities state this event represents the first time in history that their air defense network has successfully engaged and destroyed such an advanced stealth aircraft.

The F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation, multirole stealth fighter developed by Lockheed Martin and has been operational with the U.S. Air Force since 2016.