US F-35 makes emergency landing after flying over Iran

A U.S. F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at a regional U.S. airbase in the Middle East after flying a combat mission over Iran, the U.S. military said Thursday. 

CNN reported the plane, which cost up to $100 million, was believed to have been hit by Iran, citing two unnamed sources. 

The plane landed “safely,” the pilot is in “stable” condition and the incident is under investigation, U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command (Centcom), told The Hill in a statement. 

If CNN’s reporting is true, the development would be the first known time that Iran struck a U.S. fighter plane since the war broke out on Feb. 28. 

Both Israel and the U.S. militaries possess F-35s, a fifth-generation fighter jet that is produced by Lockheed Martin. 

The U.S. and Israeli forces have continued striking targets inside Iran, while Tehran has been retaliating with fire against U.S. assets in Gulf states, which have worked to intercept Iranian drones and missiles. 

On Monday, Centcom said about 200 U.S. service members have been injured in the conflict with Iran, with the vast majority of them returning to duty. Defense officials have said 13 U.S. service members have been killed since the war started. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. remains “on plan” for its objectives in the conflict but declined to give a firm timeline for when the war could end when asked about it Thursday morning. 

“We wouldn’t want to set a definitive time frame on” the war’s end, Hegseth said, adding the timeline would be determined by President Trump.

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