Jet Joust: Iran Claims Downing of F-35, Israel and US Reject Assertion
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that it shot down a United States fifth-generation stealth fighter jet F-35 and an Israeli F-16 warplane. However, both the United States and Israel have rejected the claim. International media reports indicate that while there is no evidence of an F-35 being destroyed, Iran may be engaging in psychological warfare through such assertions. Meanwhile, Iranian drone attacks have reportedly damaged several strategic and key installations in Israel.
The developments began earlier in March. On March 17, Iranian military forces launched a series of drone strikes targeting Israel’s key cyber center, defense industry facilities, and notably Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Later, on March 21, reports emerged of a drone attack near Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, allegedly damaging a fuel depot and military aviation infrastructure. Israeli authorities, however, stated that most drones were intercepted, though they acknowledged that debris caused damage to several private aircraft.
The United States has stated that none of its F-35 aircraft were damaged. While one aircraft was targeted, no harm occurred. Israel has also denied that any of its F-16 jets were downed. On March 21, the IRGC further claimed that an Israeli F-16 was shot down in central Iran, describing it as the third Israeli warplane downed in the past three weeks. The IRGC also claimed to have destroyed more than 200 enemy aerial assets, including drones, cruise missiles, and fighter jets. It added that its air defense system had destroyed Israeli drones worth approximately $10 million.
However, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported on March 19 that a US F-35 had been shot down using a domestically developed air defense system. In contrast, international media outlets such as Al Jazeera and The National Interest noted that Iran often exaggerates military achievements for propaganda purposes, and no independent evidence has confirmed the downing of an F-35. Nonetheless, Iran’s low-cost domestic drone technology continues to draw attention. An advanced Israeli Hermes 900 unmanned drone was reportedly shot down in Iran’s Isfahan region.
Analysts suggest that despite Israel’s advanced Iron Dome and other defense systems, Iran’s inexpensive and large-scale kamikaze drones—such as the Shahed-136—have been able to evade defenses and strike targets.
It is noteworthy that tensions among Iran, the United States, and Israel have escalated significantly during the ongoing conflict this year. Multiple sources have confirmed the destruction of several Israeli drones, including the Hermes 900. However, claims of an F-35 being shot down remain controversial and unverified. Security analysts believe such claims may serve to showcase Iran’s technological capabilities. Military experts note that if an F-35 were indeed downed, it would mark the first instance in history of a stealth fighter being destroyed by an adversary’s defense system.
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