Israeli Stealth Fighter Claims First Known Air Victory

The Israel Defense Forces announced that one of its F-35I stealth fighters shot down an Iranian Air Force Yak-130 over Tehran on March 4, 2026, in what would be the first known air-to-air kill for the F-35. The IDF described the target as a Russian-made Yak-130 and framed the incident as a historic first for the aircraft type. The claim has not been independently verified, according to The Washington Post. The incident marks a rare instance of manned air-to-air combat involving the Israeli Air Force, with the last reported air-to-air engagement occurring decades ago. This development was first reported by AeroTime.