A United States F-35 fighter jet was forced to perform an emergency landing at an American base following a suspected attack by Iranian forces, as per US officials. Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, confirmed to CNN that the fifth-generation stealth aircraft was conducting a combat mission over Iran when it encountered the incident and had to land urgently at a US base in the Middle East. The pilot safely landed the aircraft and is reported to be in stable condition, with Capt. Hawkins mentioning that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
According to CNN, two US sources familiar with the situation indicated that the jet was targeted by what is believed to be Iranian fire, although the sources remained unnamed. If verified, this would mark the first instance of a US jet being hit by Iranian forces since the conflict began.
This incident follows an episode on March 2 when three American fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by friendly fire from Kuwait during an Iranian air attack, as disclosed by the US military. All six crew members aboard the F-15E Strike Eagles safely ejected and were later found in stable condition. The attack occurred amidst ongoing assaults by Iranian aircraft, missiles, and drones.
Tragically, thirteen American service members have lost their lives in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Six members of a US Army Reserve unit perished in a strike in Kuwait on March 1. Additionally, another service member, injured in an attack at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on the same day, succumbed to injuries a week later. Furthermore, six service members were killed in a crash involving a US refueling aircraft in western Iraq on March 12. The US military clarified that the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire and is currently under investigation.
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