TEHRAN, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Friday its air defence systems had shot down a U.S. F-35 fighter jet in central Iranian airspace.

Smoke billows after explosions heard in downtown Tehran, Iran, April 1, 2026. (Xinhua)

In a statement carried by its official outlet Sepah News and accompanied by images it said showed the wreckage, the IRGC said the aircraft was hit by advanced air defence 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 the aircraft was completely destroyed before crashing.

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

There was no immediate comment from the United States.

On March 19, the IRGC said one of its air defence systems had struck a U.S. F-35 over central Iran, leaving the aircraft heavily damaged. The U.S. 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.

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East.

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