Saturday June 14, 2025|
By Idorenyin UMOREN with Agency reports
Iran has earned the distinction of being the first country in the world to successfully shoot down fifth-generation fighter jets by targeting two stealth F-35 fighters belonging to Israeli Air Force.
Israel deployed these advanced aircraft in its early Friday, June 13, morning aggression against the Islamic Republic on Friday, which resulted in the assassination of several high-ranking Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians, including women and children, according to Press TV.
In an official statement, the Iranian Army’s Public Relations Office announced that its air defense forces had successfully struck and destroyed two F-35 fighter jets along with multiple drones belonging to Israel.
The report noted that the fate of the pilots remains unknown and is currently under investigation. Further information will be released in due course. Reports say that 3x Israeli fighter jets have been shot down,bin total, including two F-35s and one F-16 Fighting Falcon. Three pilots have been captured by Iranian forces, including a woman.
The claim that Iran shot down two F-35 jets lacks verification from credible, independent sources. Iranian state media, like IRNA and Mehr, report the event, but no Western outlets, such as BBC or Reuters, confirm it. Israel and the US have not acknowledged any F-35 losses, which would be significant if true. Past Iranian claims have been debunked as misinformation, like a 2024 video from a simulation game. Given the F-35’s stealth capabilities and the absence of corroboration, the claim and report by Press TV may be exaggerated or false.
The F-35 fighters used by Israel are considered the most advanced in their class.
Israel acquired these jets primarily from the United States, with the F-35 Lightning II being produced by Lockheed Martin, an American aerospace manufacturer. Israel is one of the few countries authorized by the U.S. to operate this cutting-edge fifth-generation stealth fighter.
Delivered under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, the first jets arrived in the occupied territories around 2016.
The F-35I, Israel’s customized variant of the stealth fighter, is designed to evade radar detection, allowing the Israeli military to conduct deep penetration missions with a lower risk of interception or tracking.
However, in a significant setback for the Tel Aviv regime and its American backers, the Iranian Army managed to down two of these advanced jets during Friday’s confrontation.