In a dramatic new claim rocking the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war, Tehran ᴀsserts it has sH๏τ down a second American F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter over central Iran. Iranian state media released video purporting to show a mid-air strike by IRGC air defenses, claiming the advanced jet was intercepted and that the pilot ejected but sustained injuries during the incident.
Strikingly, the Pentagon has remained unusually silent more than eight hours after the allegation surfaced. Unlike previous swift denials regarding Iranian claims, U.S. Central Command has issued no immediate confirmation, denial, or operational update — leaving analysts and observers speculating about the seriousness of the situation.
This latest ᴀssertion arrives as Operation Stone Age continues to hammer Iranian military infrastructure with relentless force. In recent weeks, B-52 Stratofortress strikes triggered mᴀssive fireballs and chain-reaction explosions at underground facilities near Qom. The strategic B1 Bridge in Karaj was destroyed, severing key IRGC supply lines. Two Iranian Kilo-class submarines were sunk in the Strait of Hormuz, and elite 82nd Airborne paratroopers dismantled a prepared Iranian ambush during rescue operations for downed aircrew. The U.S. has already acknowledged the loss of an A-10 Thunderbolt and an F-15E Strike Eagle in separate incidents, with one pilot successfully rescued despite enemy fire.
President Trump, who personally authorized the campaign with his vow to bomb Iran “back into the stone age,” has made clear that America will not tolerate attacks on its forces. While Iranian claims have repeatedly proven false — including multiple debunked attacks on the USS Abraham Lincoln — the current silence from the Pentagon suggests an active ᴀssessment or ongoing recovery efforts rather than acceptance of Tehran’s narrative.
Military experts caution that even if partially accurate, a single tactical success cannot reverse Iran’s broader strategic collapse. Its missile production lies in ruins, its navy is crippled, its economy is hemorrhaging, and its proxies are overstretched. These sporadic claims appear designed to manufacture morale at home while the regime’s war machine is systematically dismantled.
The bravery of American pilots operating in hostile skies stands in sharp contrast to a desperate regime resorting to propaganda. Whether this latest claim proves true or false, one outcome remains certain: the United States and its allies will press forward with overwhelming strength until the Iranian threat is neutralized.
Operation Stone Age shows no signs of slowing. The cost of provoking America continues to rise.
