Iran lashed out at the United States after a reported attack on an F-35 stealth fighter jet, calling the aircraft a “monument of arrogance” and claiming the incident marked a “breakdown of order” led by U.S. military forces in the ongoing war in West Asia sparked by the February 28 U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran.The comments came as Iran claimed its air defense system successfully hit an F-35 aircraft. While Washington has not fully confirmed Tehran’s claims, U.S. officials acknowledged that the plane appeared to have been hit by Iranian fire, raising questions about the circumstances of the encounter.
MB Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, posted on the“Despite the projectiles thrown by God, this symbol was struck for the first time in the world. It was a moment of collapse of order,” he added.The F-35 Lightning II is at the center of modern air combat, not just another fighter jet but a defining element of the military power of the United States and its allies. Priced at more than $100 million per aircraft and adopted by more than 19 countries, it has become the most widely deployed fifth-generation fighter jet in the world. Its importance lies in how cutting-edge technology, stealth technology, advanced sensors and real-time data sharing are integrated into a single platform. This combination allows it to serve not only as a fighter jet, but also as a flight command node, improving the efficiency of the entire fleet and fundamentally changing the way air operations are planned and executed.The United States has lost at least 16 military aircraft since the conflict with Iran broke out, according to Bloomberg citing officials. These included 10 MQ-9 Reaper drones shot down by enemy fire, as well as several other aircraft damaged in attacks and operational incidents.However, some of the most severe losses are caused by accidents. Three F-15 fighter jets were reportedly shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait, and a KC-135 tanker was destroyed during aerial operations, killing all six crew members on board. Additionally, five KC-135 aircraft were allegedly damaged in Iranian missile attacks on bases in Saudi Arabia.
