After a United States F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at an airbase in the Middle East last week during the escalating US-Israeli war on Iran, two sources familiar with the matter told US media the jet had been struck by Iran as it returned from a combat mission – a claim Iranian state media also reported.If true, this would be the first time during the war that an F-35, the cornerstone of Washington’s aerial firepower, has been struck by Iran.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listHere’s what we know about the incident and why it is significant:What do we know about the incident?After the F-35 stealth fighter jet made its emergency landing on Thursday, Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), said it had landed safely and the pilot was in a stable condition.“This incident is under investigation,” Hawkins added without specifying why or where the aircraft had landed.The same day, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement saying it had targeted a US aircraft.According to a report on Sunday by Air & Space Forces Magazine, a publication that covers news on US air defence and national security issues, the pilot suffered shrapnel wounds. The report, which quoted unnamed sources with knowledge of the incident, said the aircraft was hit by ground fire.Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency released military footage that it said showed Tehran’s air defence systems hitting a US F-35 stealth fighter.What is an F-35, and what’s so special about it?The F-35 refers to a family of stealth strike fighters manufa …
