A U.S. fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing in the Middle East after it was reportedly struck by Iranian fire.
"We are aware of reports that a U.S. F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing at a regional U.S airbase after flying a combat mission over Iran,” Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, told The Independent.
“The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition,” Hawkins added. “This incident is under investigation."
The jet is believed to have been hit by Iranian fire, two unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter told CNN. The attack would mark the first time Iranian forces have struck an American aircraft since the war broke out late last month.
U.S. and Israeli forces are both flying F-35 jets — which cost more than $100 million — in the region.
The emergency landing comes one week after a U.S. refueling tanker crashed while flying in friendly airspace over Iraq, killing all six crew members. Two aircraft were involved in the incident, which may have entailed a midair collision, according to The New York Times. It remains under investigation.
Trump administration officials have repeatedly claimed that the U.S. is winning the war, launched jointly by Israel and the U.S. on February 28, and that Iran is virtually powerless to respond.
“Iran has no air defenses,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters last week. “Iran has no air force. Iran has no Navy. Their missiles, their missile launchers and drones being destroyed or shot out of the sky.”
The war, now in its third week, has engulfed the broader region, with strikes reported in Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other nearby nations. On Thursday, Hegseth said that the U.S. had struck more than 7,000 targets across Iran.
At least 1,200 Iranians have been killed and more than 10,000 have been wounded, according to Iranian officials. Thirteen U.S. service members have died, and over 140 have been injured, the Pentagon has said.
The conflict has also sparked fears of global economic turmoil, as tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a vital artery of international trade — has ground to a halt. As a result, oil prices have shot up, surpassing the $100-a-barrel milestone on multiple occasions in recent weeks. And the average cost of a gallon of diesel surged past $5 this week.
The war shows no signs of abating, as U.S. airstrikes intensify and additional Marines and warships are deployed to the Middle East. Last week, Trump told Fox News that the conflict will end when “I feel it in my bones.”
Capitol Hill is largely divided over the conflict. Democrats have described it as illegal, reckless and a blatant violation of Trump’s campaign promise to be the “candidate of peace.” Republicans have largely backed the president, though some have privately expressed reservations.
Polls show that most Americans are opposed to the war. Fifty-three percent of voters are against military action against Iran, according to a Quinnipiac survey released on March 9. And just one in four Americans said they support strikes against Iran, according to an earlier Ipsos poll.
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