Watch: How Iran hit US F-35 fighter jet over its skies; viral video shows America’s stealth fighter not invincible

As the conflict in the Middle East continues to intensify, Iran has released a video claiming it targeted a US F-35 fighter jet in the skies over Iran. In a post shared by OSINTdefender on X, it was stated that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement accompanied by footage that purportedly shows an F-35A/B Lightning II being targeted by a surface-to-air missile.

The video surfaces hours after reports claiming that a US aircraft, an F-35 fighter jet, was damaged and forced to make an emergency landing at a Middle Eastern air base. It was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, CNN reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.





Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, said the fifth-generation stealth jet was “flying a combat mission over Iran” when it was forced to make an emergency landing, according to CNN. 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.”

If reports that a US aircraft was struck by Iran are confirmed, it would mark the first known instance of Tehran hitting an American plane since the conflict began in late February. Both the United States and Israel have been deploying F-35 fighter jets in the war, with each aircraft valued at over $100 million.

Israel pounded Tehran with airstrikes Friday (March 20, 2026) as Iranians marked Nowruz, or the Persian New Year, in the midst of a war that has sent shock waves through the global economy, according to news agency AP. More than 1,300 people in Iran have been killed during the war. At least 13 U.S. military members have been killed.

Israeli strikes against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon have displaced more than 1 million people, according to the Lebanese government, which says more than 1,000 people have been killed. Israel says it has killed more than 500 Hezbollah militants.

In Israel, 15 people have been killed by Iranian missile fire. Four people were also killed in the occupied West Bank by an Iranian missile strike overnight.