Iran has claimed a significant escalation in its ongoing conflict with Israel, announcing on Saturday that its air defense forces shot down another Israeli F-35 stealth fighter jet over the country's western airspace.

If confirmed, this would mark the first-ever combat downing of a US-made F-35 aircraft.

According to a statement by Iran's army, the F-35 was hit by a domestic defense system while flying in Iranian airspace. The pilot reportedly ejected and was later taken into custody by Iranian commandos, foreign media outlets said. Iranian state-run Tasnim News Agency earlier stated on Friday that two Israeli jets, including an F-35, had been downed in the past 24 hours.

However, Iran’s military claimed this latest incident brings the total number of F-35s shot down to three since Israeli forces launched a large-scale offensive on Iran, as reported by Tehran Times. Among the previous cases, one pilot was reportedly killed, while another, said to be a female pilot, was captured.

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Iran’s air defence systems also neutralised numerous micro aerial vehicles (MAVs), as per initial reports.

The Iranian military has not released further details about the identity or nationality of the captured pilot. However, the statements have heightened tensions at a time when both nations appear to be on the brink of a broader war.

Background to escalation

The aerial confrontation follows devastating Israeli strikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities since early Friday morning that killed approximately 100 people, including civilians, senior military officials, and nuclear scientists. Key nuclear and military installations were also reportedly targeted.

In response, Iran launched five waves of ballistic missile attacks, claiming to have destroyed or damaged over 150 Israeli military and intelligence sites across the occupied territories. Additionally, Iran has deployed Kamikaze drones in ongoing attacks and is reportedly preparing further heavier missile rounds, Tehran Times reported.

Also Read: Israel kills 3 more Iranian nuclear scientists; death toll rises to 9

With claims of multiple F-35 downed making headlines globally, international observers are calling for independent verification, especially as the downing of a fifth-generation stealth jet could have serious implications for global defense dynamics. The Israeli government has also yet to officially confirm the downing of its aircraft or the capture of any personnel.

On the other hand, Iranian media reported on Saturday that three more nuclear scientists have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, raising the total number of Iranian scientists slain in recent days to nine amid escalating hostilities between the two arch-rivals.

According to Iran’s state television and the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the latest victims were identified as Ali Bakhouei Karimi, a mechanical expert; Mansour Asgari, a physicist; and Saeed Borji, a materials engineer. All three were described as key contributors to Iran's nuclear research and were martyred during what officials called "terrorist attacks by the Zionist regime."

The reported assassinations come a day after six other Iranian nuclear personnel and three senior military figures were killed in a series of Israeli strikes, making this one of the deadliest attacks targeting Iran’s scientific and defence community in recent years.