Iran lashed out at the United States after a reported strike on an F-35 stealth fighter, calling the aircraft a “monument to arrogance” and claiming the incident signals the “collapse of an order” dominated by American military power amid the ongoing war in the West Asia triggered by US, Israel attack on Iran on February 28.
The remarks come amid claims from Iran that its air defence systems successfully struck F-35 aircraft. While Washington has not fully confirmed Tehran’s claim, US officials have acknowledged that the jet appears to have been hit, likely by Iranian fire, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the encounter.
“The F-35 wasn’t merely a fighter jet but a monument to the invincibility and arrogance of the American military.
A theological symbol, claimed to be invisible to any eye and superior to every power; yet the hand of God is above their hands,” said Iranian Parliament speaker MB Ghalibaf in a post on X.
“This symbol was struck for the first time in the world, though God cast projectiles. And this was the moment of the collapse of an order,” he added.
The F-35 Lightning II stands at the center of modern air warfare, not merely as another fighter jet but as a defining element of US and allied military power.
With a price tag exceeding $100 million per aircraft and adoption by over 19 countries, it has become the most widely deployed fifth-generation fighter in the world.
Its importance lies in how it integrates cutting-edge technologies, stealth, advanced sensors, and real-time data sharing, into a single platform.
This combination allows it to act not just as a combat aircraft, but as a flying command node that enhances the effectiveness of entire fleets, fundamentally changing how air operations are planned and executed.
Since the conflict with Iran began, the United States has lost at least 16 military aircraft, according to officials cited by Bloomberg. These include 10 MQ-9 Reaper drones brought down by enemy fire, along with several other aircraft damaged in strikes and operational mishaps.
Some of the most serious losses, however, were the result of accidents. Three F-15 fighter jets were reportedly shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait, while a KC-135 refuelling tanker was destroyed during a mid-air operation, killing all six crew members on board. In addition, five more KC-135 aircraft are said to have been damaged in an Iranian missile attack on a base in Saudi Arabia.
