Iranian sources report the downing of two Israeli F-35s and the capture of a pilot, while Israel denies the claims.

Iranian media reported that special forces from the Iranian army captured an Israeli pilot after his aircraft was shot down on Friday evening. 

The Iranian army had earlier confirmed it had targeted an Israeli F-35 fighter jet in the western part of the country, adding that the pilot had ejected. 

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes on various locations across Iran are ongoing.

On Friday, the Iranian military announced that “the army’s air defense forces successfully struck and destroyed two Israeli F-35 fighter jets, along with a large number of drones.”

—❗️🇮🇷/🇮🇱 WATCH: The moment an Iranian ballistic missile hit Rishon LeZion, Tel Aviv pic.twitter.com/RaXTO2QYX1

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) June 14, 2025

According to the Iranian News Agency (IRNA), the fate of the Israeli pilots remains unknown and is currently under investigation.

In response, an Israeli official dismissed the reports that two Israeli warplanes were shot down, calling the claims “fake news.” 

Speaking to Agence France-Presse on condition of anonymity, the official said, “The current reports of two Israeli warplanes being shot down are fake news.”

Israel continued its broad military campaign against Iran on Saturday. 

Iranian state television reported that the Iranian army had “succeeded in downing Israeli drones that violated the country’s airspace in the Salmas border area.”

Iranian media report that 60 civilians, including 20 children, were killed in the strike on the Chamran residential complex in Tehran. So far, 10 bodies have been recovered from the rubble.

Israeli outlets acknowledge that, despite heavy damage, Iran is still capable of… pic.twitter.com/0USB91fhHZ

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) June 14, 2025

The same source noted that the drones had entered Iranian airspace on espionage and reconnaissance missions.

Additionally, Mehr News Agency cited “unofficial telegram channels” as claiming that “the pilot of the fighter jet was arrested in the afternoon by the Iranian army ground force commandos.”

For its part, the Tasnim news agency quoted the deputy governor of Lorestan Province as saying that Iranian forces shot down four Israeli drones and small aircraft in the skies over the Khorramabad region.

(PC, AJA, Iranian Media)