Social media has been abuzz with a claim originating from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Posts circulating online allege that Iranian forces successfully destroyed three US F-35 stealth fighters and three other aircraft during a recent engagement at an American air base.
This assertion has quickly gained traction on various platforms, leading to questions about the veracity of these reported losses.
The initial rumor appears to have stemmed from an X post that amplified a statement from the IRGC. This statement claimed that Iranian forces, through a ballistic missile strike on Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan, had destroyed three US F-35 fighter jets and severely damaged three others. The post further suggested that several US military officers and technical personnel were killed in the incident.
The claim gained significant attention, with thousands of engagements in the form of likes, shares, and comments.
This development occurred amidst heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. Iran had reportedly launched missiles toward US forces stationed in Jordan, prompting retaliatory strikes from the US on IRGC-linked targets within Iran. These Iranian targets were associated with a contested strike on Qeshm Island, which Iranian authorities stated resulted in civilian casualties.
The IRGC asserted that its actions against Al-Azraq Air Base had resulted in substantial losses for the US military.
Fact Check: False
The claim is unfounded. CENTCOM has officially refuted the allegation, stating that “No US aircraft were destroyed or damaged in recent attempted Iranian attacks. All missiles and drones were intercepted or failed to reach targeted areas.” This directly contradicts the IRGC’s assertion of destroying three US F-35 fighter jets and damaging three others.
Jordan’s armed forces also reported that their air defense systems detected, intercepted, and downed five Iranian missiles directed at the kingdom. Jordanian authorities confirmed no casualties and did not report any aircraft losses or significant damage that would align with the IRGC’s account.
There is no independently verified evidence to support Iran’s claim. No high-resolution satellite imagery, official photographs, or credible third-party reports have emerged to confirm the destruction of three US F-35s.
While some low-resolution satellite images circulated on social media and among open-source intelligence (OSINT) communities, seemingly showing potential damage to hangars or other structures at Al-Azraq Air Base, analysts have indicated that these images are too inconclusive to determine if any aircraft were destroyed or even if F-35s were present in the affected buildings.
Iran subsequently released photographs purporting to show damage to hangars at the base. However, these images have not been independently verified by any organizations, and US officials dispute Iran’s interpretation of them.
These conflicting narratives are indicative of a broader pattern observed throughout the 2026 US-Iran conflict, where Iranian authorities have reported significant battlefield successes, while the United States and its allies have denied any substantial losses. The alleged US strike on Qeshm Island, which Iran contends hit residential areas and caused civilian deaths, also remains a point of contention, with CENTCOM describing its operations as targeting IRGC-related sites.