US Stealth Fighter Jet Hit by Iranian Fire for First Time in Ongoing Conflict

(Photo by Alfie Cosgrove/News Images) in Lakenheath, United Kingdom on 2/23/2026. (Photo by Alfie Cosgrove/News Images/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

An American stealth fighter was forced to land at a base in the Middle East after being struck by what the military believed was Iranian fire.

In a Thursday report from CNN, Central Command confirmed that the pilot of an F-35 made an emergency landing after taking fire. The jet, according to Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins, was “flying a combat mission over Iran” before having to make the emergency landing.

The report continued:

“The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition,” Hawkins added. “This incident is under investigation.”

The incident would be the first time Iran has hit a US aircraft in the war started in late February. Both the US and Israel are flying F-35s in the conflict; the aircraft costs upwards of $100 million.

As noted in the report, the war has cost the U.S. numerous aircraft over the last few weeks. Just days after the start of Operation Epic Fury, Kuwait mistakenly shot down three jets. The six crew members aboard those jets were able to safely eject, and viral videos posted online showed them being greeted by locals just moments later.

A little over a week later, six service members were killed when a KC-135 Stratotanker — a refueling aircraft — crashed. At the time of writing, it was not believed that enemy fire caused the crash, and it was still under investigation.

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