A video posted on social media shows an F-35I pilot identifying and downing a YAK-130 fighter jet, reportedly in Iranian airspace.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the U.S. State the incident demonstrates their continued air superiority over Iran.
News of the downed YAK-130 emerged on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, the fifth day of conflict in the Middle East.
“An Israeli Air Force F-35I (“Adir”) fighter jet recently downed an Iranian Air Force YAK-130 fighter jet over Tehran,” the military stated.
The F-35I aircraft are manufactured in the United States, but Israel has equipped them with additional weapons systems and modified them to meet its operational needs.
Conversely, the Iranian YAK-130 is a Soviet-era jet that has been upgraded and recently added to the country’s air force.
This is believed to be the first operational engagement of its kind for the F-35I.
Another video released by the IDF shows an Israeli air force pilot evading an Iranian air defense missile during operations over the country’s territory.
“Another launch (of a missile), rising above the clouds,” the pilot can be heard saying over the radio in the video.
The fighter jet was reportedly conducting strikes in Tehran at the time.
Lrytas reports that the U.S. And Israel launched a large-scale attack against Iran on Saturday, February 28, 2026, resulting in the death of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran responded with attacks on infrastructure in the Persian Gulf.
