Tehran, March 20 -- Iran on Thursday claimed to have become the first nation in the world to strike an US F-35 Lightning 2, one of the most valuable US aircraft and the backbone of the US's fifth-generation warfighting capabilities.

Over 19 countries have already flown or are preparing to fly the Lightning 2, which is in great demand both within the USAF and among its allies.

A CNN report, citing US defence officials, confirmed that an F-35 did perform an emergency landing after an Iranian surface-to-air missile (SAM) barrage, with the pilot safe and an investigation underway.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said it had successfully hit a US Air Force F-35 stealth fighter jet in central Iran's airspace. According to a sta...