Israel's military claims to have shot down an Iranian fighter jet during aerial combat over Tehran, marking a historic first for the F-35 aircraft.
On a recent day of intensified military activity in the Middle East, Israel's Defense Forces (IDF) reported a significant development: an Israeli F-35I stealth fighter shot down an Iranian Yak-130 combat aircraft over Tehran. This incident is particularly noteworthy as it is reportedly the first time that an F-35 has succeeded in downing a manned enemy aircraft during air-to-air combat. The event underscores a resurgence of such clashes for the Israeli Air Force, which has not officially downed an enemy piloted aircraft in nearly four decades. The last instance occurred in 1985, highlighting how infrequently such confrontations have taken place in recent history.
