A US F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at US air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, sources tell
@halbritz
&
@OrenCNN
.
This would be the first time Iran has hit a US aircraft (in this case a stealth, 5th generation fighter jet) since the war started.
The F-35 was “flying a combat mission over Iran” when it was forced to make an emergency landing, per Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spox for CENTCOM.
“The aircraft landed safely, & the pilot is in stable condition,” Hawkins added. “This incident is under investigation.”
A US F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at US air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, sources tell @halbritz & @OrenCNN.
This would be the first time Iran has hit a US aircraft (in this case a stealth, 5th generation…
— Zachary Cohen (@ZcohenCNN) March 19, 2026