The F-35 fighter jet landed safely and the pilot is in stable condition, CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said.An F-35 fighter jet from the United States has made an emergency landing at an airbase in the Middle East after carrying out a combat mission over Iran, according to US military officials.The aircraft landed safely on Thursday, and the pilot is in stable condition, said Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM).Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list“We are aware of reports that a US F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing at a regional US airbase after flying a combat mission over Iran. The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition. This incident is under investigation,” Hawkins said in a statement.CNN reported quoted two anonymous sources as saying that the plane, which cost up to $100m, was likely hit by Iran.Separately, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has issued a statement saying it targeted a US aircraft. The US has yet to confirm why the F-35 was forced to make an emergency landing.Since fighting began on February 28, the United States has reportedly lost approximately 12 MQ-9 Reaper drones.Separately, US officials said five KC-135 refuelling aircraft were damaged in an Iranian missile strike at a base in Saudi Arabia, although the reports have not been independently verified.Although F-35 stealth fighters have been deployed in combat operations since 2018, there have been no confirmed cases of one being struck by enemy fire.On March 1, three US F-15E Strik …
