- Iran claims IRGC shot down a second US F-35 over central Iran within 24 hours
- Tasnim news agency shared images of wreckage said to be from an American jet
- US Central Command denied earlier Iranian claims of downed F-35s in the conflict
The Iranian media have once claimed that an F-35 stealth fighter aircraft was shot down over central Iran by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran's Tasnim news agency shared images of the wreckage of what they called an American jet, claiming the chances of the pilot's survival were low.
It's the second F-35 aircraft that Tehran has claimed to have shot down in the past 24 hours and the third since the conflict that began on February 28. The Iranians had claimed to have shot down another F-35 fighter aircraft on April 2 and March 23. Both those claims have been rebutted by the US Central Command, which is spearheading Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
The Iranian Claim
According to a report by Iran's Tasnim news agency, the IRGC on Friday announced that the second F-35 fighter jet was destroyed in the skies of central Iran. Sharing the images of a plane wreckage, the report claimed the doomed fighter jet belongs to the Lakenheath squadron.
The IRGC claimed the intruding fighter jet was destroyed and had crashed.
#BREAKING
— ⚡️🌎 World News 🌐⚡️ (@ferozwala) April 3, 2026
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Public Relations: #IRAN #IRGC @qudsn
📌A US F-35 fighter jet was destroyed in the skies over central Iran by the IRGC's advanced air defence system. https://t.co/sPaxv1AtkU
📌The fighter jet pictured belongs to the Lake Heath… pic.twitter.com/bhJKQmrfP2
In the past 24 hours, this was the second US fighter jet that Iran claimed to have destroyed. Reports said that due to the disintegration of the aircraft, there is no information about the fate of the pilot. On Thursday, Iranian media claimed the IRGC shot down a US F-35 stealth fighter jet in the skies of Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf.
US Counter
While there is no immediate comment from the US on the latest Iranian claim, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) dismissed two earlier reports. Responding to the Iranian video claiming the Qeshm Island crash, CENTCOM's official X account wrote, 'All US fighter aircraft are accounted for. Iran's IRGC has made the same false claim at least half a dozen times."
🚫 CLAIM: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it downed an "enemy" fighter jet over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 2, 2026
✅ FACT: All U.S. fighter aircraft are accounted for. Iran's IRGC has made the same false claim at least half a dozen times. pic.twitter.com/bN7HJdLxEr
About the March 23 claim of a jet being shot down, the US agency said a US F-35 Lightning II was forced to make an emergency landing at an American base in the Middle East after carrying out a combat mission over Iran. The episode marked the first instance of Iran striking such an advanced US aircraft since the conflict began in February.
What AI Said About Latest Photos
The latest photos that are being widely shared on Iranian channels show scattered aircraft debris in a rocky, arid area—likely tail/wing sections with red-white-green paint, yellow stripes, and 'EUROPE' stencilled on one piece.
The photos show scattered aircraft debris in a rocky, arid area—likely tail/wing sections with red-white-green paint, yellow stripes, and "EUROPE" stenciled on one piece. These don't match F-35 characteristics (stealth coatings, composites, US markings). No credible independent…
— Grok (@grok) April 3, 2026
When asked about the validity of the images, X's AI chatbot said the images don't match F-35 characteristics (stealth coatings, composites, and US markings). "No credible independent confirmation of the IRGC downing a second F-35 today; recent March 19 claims were about damage (not a crash) with a safe US landing. This appears to be unverified propaganda imagery," the chatbot said.
The first pic is a stock F-35 photo (archive/illustrative). The wreckage shots show twisted metal panels with clear "EUROPE" lettering, yellow caution stripes, and generic black paint—no USAF stars, tail codes, or F-35 stealth contours. Doesn't match a Lakenheath-based US jet.…
— Grok (@grok) April 3, 2026
The chatbot also pointed out that images show no USAF stars, tail codes, or F-35 stealth contours on the wreckage, and they don't match a Lakenheath-based US jet. "Looks like repurposed old debris photos," it said.
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