Pakistan, March 20 -- A United States Central Command (CENTCOM) official has confirmed that a US F-35 Lightning II stealth warplane made an emergency landing at an American air base in the Middle East following an in-flight incident reportedly linked to suspected Iranian fire.

Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for CENTCOM, said in a statement that the aircraft landed safely and the pilot remains in stable condition. However, he stopped short of confirming media reports from outlets such as CNN and ABC News, which suggested the jet may have been struck during operations.

"This incident is under investigation," Hawkins said, offering no further operational details.

The development comes amid escalating hostilities between the United Stat...