Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday claimed it destroyed three US F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets and severely damaged three more in a ballistic missile strike on Jordan's al-Azraq Air Base, in what, if verified, would mark one of the most significant losses of America's most advanced combat aircraft.
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According to a statement carried by Iran International, the attack targeted an aircraft parking area and a maintenance hangar at the base in response to a US strike on Iran's Qeshm Island. The IRGC also claimed that several US military officers and maintenance personnel were killed in the strike.
The United States has not confirmed the claim, and there has been no independent verification of the reported destruction or damage to the aircraft.
An F-35A Lightning II costs well over $100 million depending on configuration and procurement terms, meaning the loss of three aircraft alone would represent equipment worth more than $300 million, excluding the cost of infrastructure and any additional damage.
Iran-US conflict spills across the region
The reported strike came hours after the US military announced it had carried out a "heavy wave of strikes" against Iran in retaliation for an earlier Iranian missile attack on a US base in Jordan.
US Central Command said it had targeted dozens of IRGC-linked sites, including military command centres, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance and defence positions. Iranian state media reported that three people were killed and two wounded in the American strike on Qeshm Island.
The conflict also spread beyond Iran and Jordan. Jordanian air defences intercepted five Iranian missiles without reported casualties, while Kuwait said an Iranian strike hit a Chinese company's building, killing one worker.
Why the F-35 matters
The F-35 Lightning II is regarded as one of the world's most sophisticated multirole stealth fighters. Designed to penetrate heavily defended airspace, it combines stealth technology, advanced sensor fusion and precision strike capabilities, allowing it to detect, track and engage targets while sharing battlefield information with allied forces.
Powered by the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, the aircraft can reach speeds of Mach 1.6 and carries a mix of air-to-air missiles and precision-guided bombs. During the ongoing conflict with Iran, the jet has been central to US operations, conducting strikes on missile infrastructure, suppressing air defences and enabling follow-on attacks by other aircraft.
