Iran: Strikes a US Stealth Fighter, Capable of Countering the Most Advanced Equipment

Xinhua News Agency, Tehran, March 19 - The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on the 19th that it had struck a U.S. F-35 stealth fighter jet, causing significant damage. Iranian media reported that this indicates Iran's air defense has not only survived but still possesses the capability to counter the most advanced military equipment in the world.

According to the Iranian Students' News Agency, around 2:50 AM that day, Iran's new advanced air defense system hit the U.S. F-35 fighter jet in Iranian airspace. Earlier, CNN reported that a U.S. F-35 was suspected to have been hit by Iranian fire and made an emergency landing at a U.S. military base in the Middle East.

U.S. Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins stated that the stealth aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing while "conducting a mission over Iran," landing safely, with the pilot in stable condition, and the incident is under investigation.

A report from the Iranian Mehr News Agency stated that if Iran's air defense was truly "destroyed," as claimed by U.S. President Trump, then how could one of the world's most advanced and expensive fighter jets, the F-35, be attacked and forced to retreat while on a combat mission? This is not a simple military incident; it is, in fact, a demonstration of Iran's deterrent capability.

The report pointed out that Iran has the ability to significantly increase the costs of any "military adventure."