A United States Air Force F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at a U.S. air base in the Middle East on March 19 after sustaining damage from what military sources describe as suspected Iranian fire, marking the first confirmed instance of an American aircraft being struck in the war that began February 28. CENTCOM spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins confirmed in a statement: "The U.S. F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing at a regional U.S. air base after flying a combat mission over Iran. The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition. The incident is under investigation."

The incident was first reported by CNN, citing two sources familiar with the matter. The Washington Examiner and The Aviationist also confirmed the emergency landing, with the latter noting the aircraft involved was an F-35C, a naval variant. The incident is significant because no F-35 stealth fighter — whether operated by the United States or Israel — had previously been confirmed shot down or damaged in combat, though both nations have deployed F-35s throughout the current campaign against Iran.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps separately released video purporting to show an F-35 being tracked and struck by Iranian air defense systems. The authenticity of the footage has not been independently verified, and U.S. officials have not confirmed the specific weapon system that struck the aircraft. The F-35 is valued at more than million per unit and is the most advanced tactical aircraft in the U.S. inventory.

The Pentagon declined to characterize the threat level or provide details about the weapon system used. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who appeared at a separate press conference regarding the Iran war budget request, did not address the F-35 incident directly. The incident comes as U.S. and Israeli forces have conducted more than 200 airstrikes across Iran since the war began, and Iranian air defenses have been identified as a growing concern in military planning circles.