Why it matters:
Although efforts have been made to keep the details of this incident ambiguous, this much acknowledgment is sufficient to understand a key reality: Iran's air defense has not only been destroyed but still possesses the capability to confront the world's most advanced military equipment.
What we're hearing:
Centcom spokesperson has confirmed that the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet was on a "combat mission over Iran" when the incident occurred.
Context:
The event occurs at a time when Donald Trump had previously explicitly claimed that Iran's air defense had been "destroyed"; a claim that has now been questioned with a concrete and referable example.
State of play:
The F-35 targeted was forced to emergence landing outside Iranian borders, CNN says.
seyed mohammad kazemi - seyed mohammad kazemi
