F-35, F-15 and now F-18: Iran claims US Super Hornet fighter hit over Chabahar; US denies - here’s the latest toll

Iran has again claimed to have shot down another American fighter jet in the ongoing war with the United States, alleging that a US F/A-18 Hornet was struck by its air defenses, a claim momentarily rejected by the US military. The latest exchange follows earlier disputed reports involving the F‑35 Lightning II and F‑15 Eagle as information warfare rages on the nearly month-old military conflict in the Middle East.

Iran claims F-18 hit; US denies

Iran has claimed that one of the United States’ backbones of carrier air wings, the F-18 fighter jet, was struck by its integrated air defense system, according to Iranian state-owned news organization Press TV. The Iranian Consulate in India has also confirmed the claim.



The video title said one F-18 fighter jet of the US army was hit by Iranian defense fire under Iran’s “integrated air defense network." The video shared seems to show a fighter jet in flight, followed by a sudden flash near the aircraft, suggesting it might have been hit in mid-air.

Shortly afterwards, the jet appears to lose stability, leaving a visible trail that could indicate damage or loss of control. Though brief, the footage gives the impression of an aerial incident.

However, the US CENTCOM has denied the claim and said that no fighter jet was shot down by Iran. FALSE: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a US F/A-18 fighter was struck over Chabahar using new advanced air defence systems. TRUE: No US fighter aircraft have been shot down by Iran," United States Central Command said in a post on X.


Notably, this was one of the multiple attempts of information warfare used by Iran, only to be later denied by US.

Iranian claims: F-35 emergency landing

Earlier, Teheran had reportedly struck a fifth-generation stealth jet, an F-35 fighter jet, claiming it to be the “most lethal, stealthy and survivable aircraft in the world." This incident forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing at a US airbase in the Middle East, CNN reported, citing “two sources familiar with the matter.”

Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, said the F-35 was “flying a combat mission over Iran” when it was forced to make an emergency landing. Hawkins said the aircraft landed safely and the incident is under investigation.

“The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition,” Hawkins added. “This incident is under investigation,” as quoted by CNN.

According to a report by Air & Space Forces Magazine, a publication that covers news on US air defense and national security issues, the pilot suffered ‘shrapnel wounds.’ The report, which quoted unnamed sources with knowledge of the incident, said the aircraft was hit by ground fire.

Iran shooting down US F-15 claim is also disputed

On Sunday, March 22 Iran said it had intercepted an F-15 fighter jet violating Iranian airspace over its southern coast near Hormuz Island. But the US has denied this claim. CENTCOM wrote on X: “FALSE: Rumors claim the Iranian regime recently shot down a U.S. F-15 over Iran.
“TRUE: U.S. forces have flown more than 8,000 combat flights during Operation Epic Fury. No U.S. fighter aircraft have been shot down by Iran.”

A day later Press TV again reported that the Iranian military struck down an F-15 fighter jet over Kuwait, only to be rejected by the US.


“FALSE: Rumors are again circulating about a U.S. F-15 being shot down over Kuwait. They are NOT TRUE.” Centcom wrote on Tuesday, March 24.

Latest toll: How many US aircraft were lost in Iran war?

At least 16 aircraft have been shot down or crashed, including 10 MQ‑9 Reaper drones, three F‑15s, and a KC‑135 Stratotanker tanker, Bloomberg reported. Five other KC-135s were reportedly damaged by an Iranian missile strike on an airfield in Saudi Arabia, and an American F-35 fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing after a combat mission in the Middle East.

However, some of the most serious losses have been attributed to accidents. Three US F-15 jets were reportedly downed by “friendly fire” in Kuwait at the beginning of the month, but there was no casualty. While a KC-135 tanker was destroyed during a refueling operation, resulting in the deaths of all six crew members onboard.

US’s Iran attack vs. the 2011 Libya Invasion

In contrast, during the 2011 U.S. military intervention in Libya, another large-scale air campaign, there were just three reported combat losses over four months, The Hill reported.