Iran's IRGC claims it shot down US F-35 over central Iran

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Friday its air defense systems had shot down a US F-35 fighter jet in central Iranian airspace.

In a statement carried by its official outlet Sepah News, accompanied by what it said were images of the wreckage, the IRGC claimed the aircraft was hit by advanced air defense systems operated by its Aerospace Division.

The statement said the jet belonged to the "Lakenheath squadron," referring to the 48th Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath in Britain, and that it was completely destroyed upon impact.

The IRGC said the fate of the pilot was unknown, adding that the explosions made survival or safe ejection unlikely.

There was no immediate comment from the United States.

A reporter from Iranian state media Tasnim claimed that Iran had thwarted a US operation to extract the pilot from its territory. The pilot might have been captured by Iranian forces, the reporter said.

US outlet Axios said a search and rescue operation for two crew members was under way, citing an unnamed source.

On March 19, the IRGC said one of its air defense systems had struck a US F-35 over central Iran, leaving the aircraft heavily damaged. The US military later said in a statement that an F-35 made an emergency landing after flying a combat mission over Iran, and that the pilot was in stable condition.

Iranian armed forces say they have struck several hostile fighter jets in the country's airspace since the conflict began on February 28. 

(With input from Xinhua)