Iran Says It Has Downed a Second US F-35 Fighter Jet as Regional War Intensifies
IRGC claims ‘advanced air defense systems’ destroyed stealth aircraft over central Iran; pilot’s fate unknown as US officials launch search and rescue operation
TEHRAN — April 3, 2026 — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Friday, April 3, that its air defense systems have shot down a US F-35 fighter jet over central Iran, marking the second such claim in 12 hours and escalating the information war accompanying the month-long Middle East conflict.
The IRGC’s official news outlet, Sepah News, published images purporting to show wreckage of the aircraft, which it said belonged to the “Lakenheath squadron” — referring to the 48th Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath in Britain . The statement said the aircraft was “completely destroyed before crashing” and that the pilot’s fate remains unknown, with survival or safe ejection considered unlikely .
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“The fighter jet was targeted by a modern air defense system belonging to the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces, said in a statement .
The IRGC said the downing was “our first response to the false claims of the liar US President regarding the complete destruction of the IRGC’s air defense” . The statement added: “This is our first anti-air response to Trump’s nonsense” .
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US Confirms Fighter Jet Downed, Launches Search for Crew
The New York Times reported Friday that US officials have confirmed an American fighter jet was shot down over Iran, and that a search and rescue operation is underway for the aircraft’s crew . The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to share operational details.
“US Central Command keeps multiple task forces set up near Iran for search and rescue operations in the event that American warplanes are shot down, including in both Iraq and Syria,” The Times reported. However, the operation is considered “highly difficult because Iran has demonstrated its ability to launch strikes, particularly at slow-moving helicopters that might be involved in such an operation” .
The downing came on the same day President Donald Trump celebrated American bombing of an Iranian highway bridge, warning on social media that there was “much more to follow” . The US attack on the B1 bridge between Tehran and the shores of the Caspian Sea killed eight people and wounded 95, Iranian news media reported .
Previous Claims and Conflicting Narratives
The April 3 announcement follows a similar claim by the IRGC on March 19, when the organization said it had successfully struck a US F-35 over central Iran. On that occasion, the US military confirmed that an F-35 had made an emergency landing after flying a combat mission over Iran, and that the pilot was in stable condition .
The IRGC has claimed to have downed multiple US aircraft since the conflict began, including “two F-35s, one F-18, two F-16s, and four F-15s,” according to Iranian state media . The US military has officially confirmed the loss of “three US F-15s and one KC-135 tanker,” though the Pentagon has described these losses as resulting from “friendly fire” or “accidents” .
On April 2, the IRGC claimed that an “advanced enemy fighter jet” was targeted south of Qeshm Island and crashed into the Persian Gulf. The US Central Command denied that claim, stating that all American fighter jets were “accounted for” .
Escalating Conflict
The downing of the F-35 comes as the war between Iran and the US-Israel alliance enters its 35th day. The conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians .
Iran has responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US bases and assets across the Middle East. Iranian armed forces say they have struck several hostile fighter jets in the country’s airspace since the conflict began .
President Trump, in an address to the nation on Wednesday night, said the United States was on track to complete America’s military objectives in Iran soon, asserting that US and Israeli military strikes had decimated the Iranian regime and military. He vowed another two to three weeks of intense bombing .
“Over the next two to three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong,” the president said .
What Comes Next
The fate of the F-35’s pilot remains unknown, and the success of any US search and rescue operation in Iranian territory is highly uncertain. The US military has not yet issued an official statement confirming or denying the IRGC’s claims, though The New York Times has confirmed the downing through anonymous officials.
The conflicting narratives surrounding the downing underscore the information war accompanying the military conflict, with both sides presenting claims that serve their strategic objectives. As of Friday evening, the Pentagon had not provided further details on the incident or the status of the aircraft’s crew.
SOURCES / INPUTS
Times of Oman: Iran claims to shoot 2nd US F-35; pilot reportedly unlikely to have ejected
ThePrint: Iran claims second US F-35 shot down, pilot ‘unlikely to have ejected’
The New York Times: U.S. Searches for Crew After Fighter Jet Shot Down Over Iran, U.S. Officials Say
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