Untold Story of July 31: Iranian Air Defense Breaks F-35 Lock, Forces US Fighter to Retreat
Iranian air defense systems shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone and achieved a weapons-quality lock on an F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter on the night of July 31, 2026, forcing the fifth-generation aircraft to abandon its mission and retreat from Iranian airspace a major setback for US air power.
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The events unfolded amid a broader wave of Iranian retaliatory strikes against American military bases across the region, launched in response to US attacks on civilian and military positions in Southern Iran.The news that Iran’s air defense network had successfully intercepted and destroyed an MQ-9 Reaper operating over the region was broadcast at the same time. However, the more significant development – that a fire-control lock had been achieved on an F-35, forcing the stealth fighter to make a hasty and humiliating retreat – was not known to all.Axios, a media outlet with close access to the Pentagon’s top brass, cited unnamed US officials in an August 31 report as saying that CENTCOM had become “concerned” about Iran’s efforts to rebuild its radar, air-defense, and anti-ship missile capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz, enabling it to target hostile US vessels with greater precision.According to the report, one incident that particularly raised concerns in the corridors of power in Washington was the launch of an Iranian anti-aircraft missile at a US F-35 fighter jet providing cover for American ships operating in the strait.
12:23 - 14 سپتامبر 2026
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