A US F-35 fighter jet, which had gone to attack Iran, made an emergency landing at a military base in the Middle East. While it is speculated that the jet came under attack from Iran, this has not been confirmed.
According to US military officials, the aircraft landed safely and the pilot’s condition is reported to be stable. Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the US Central Command, issued a statement informing that the jet made an emergency landing at a regional base after completing a combat mission over Iran. “The aircraft landed safely and the pilot’s condition is stable. An investigation into the incident is underway,” he said.
Citing sources, the US media outlet CNN reported that the aircraft, valued at approximately 100 million dollars, may have come under Iranian attack. However, the US side has not yet disclosed the specific reason for the emergency landing.
According to Al Jazeera, although the F-35 stealth fighter jet has been used in combat since 2018, no confirmed incident of it being damaged by enemy attack has been reported before this.
On March 1, however, three US F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft were shot down by “friendly fire” from Kuwaiti F/A-18s. All six crew members managed to eject safely.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that it targeted and attacked a US aircraft.
Reports indicate that since the conflict began on February 28, the US has lost approximately 12 MQ-9 Reaper drones. It has also been reported that five refueling aircraft were damaged at a base in Saudi Arabia from an Iranian missile attack, although these details have not been independently confirmed.
To date, at least 13 US military personnel have been killed and around 200 wounded in the war with Iran. On the Iranian side, health officials report 1,444 dead and 18,551 injured.
US Objectives Remain Unchanged
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has stated that his country’s objectives in the war against Iran remain the same as they were at the outset.
According to him, the US has so far struck over 7,000 targets inside Iran and has targeted more than 40 mine-laying ships and 11 submarines.
“Our objectives are the same as they were on day one – to destroy Iran’s missile launch systems, damage its defense industrial base and naval capabilities, and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” he stated.
He also clarified that there is no specific timeline for how long the campaign will last.
