Israel's F-35I 'Adir' Scores 'Historic' First-Ever Stealth Fighter Air-to-Air Kill Over Tehran

Last Updated:March 04, 2026, 18:11 IST

The F-35I, known as the "Adir"- Hebrew for "Mighty One"- engaged and destroyed an Iranian Air Force YAK-130 over the Iranian capital, Israeli military officials confirmed.

An Israeli F-35I stealth fighter jet shot down a manned Iranian aircraft over Tehran, marking what the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) described as the first air-to-air kill by an F-35I in history. The F-35I, known as the “Adir"- Hebrew for “Mighty One"- engaged and destroyed an Iranian Air Force YAK-130 over the Iranian capital, Israeli military officials confirmed. The shootdown is Israel’s first manned air-to-air combat kill in four decades.

A First Since 1985

The last time an Israeli fighter jet downed another aircraft in manned air-to-air combat was on November 24, 1985, during the War of the Camps in Lebanon, when an Israeli Air Force F-15 shot down two Syrian MiG-23 fighters, the Times of Israel reported.

The F-35I Adir is a customised variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35A, modified specifically for Israeli operational requirements with indigenous electronic warfare systems and weapons integration. Israel was the first country outside the United States to fly the F-35 in combat operations.

The air-to-air engagement came as Israel confirmed that broad-scale strikes were underway across Tehran and other Iranian cities as part of the joint US-Israeli operation. Overnight, Israeli forces targeted command centres used by Iranian security forces, dropping dozens of munitions on sites linked to the Basij, an Iranian paramilitary unit.

Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said that Israeli forces had “prepared a general scope of weeks" for the campaign, while describing the prospect of ground troops entering Iran as “not a practical idea at the moment." US Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, meanwhile, confirmed that Operation Epic Fury had already eliminated 2,000 targets.

“By order of the president of the United States and secretary of war, our military in the Middle East has undertaken an unprecedented operation to eliminate Iran’s ability to threaten Americans as they’ve been doing for nearly half a century," Cooper said in a video posted to X.

The US has deployed more than 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets, two aircraft carriers and an undisclosed number of bombers since the operation began on Saturday. Cooper described the buildup as “the largest by the US in the Middle East in a generation."

News world Israel's F-35I 'Adir' Scores 'Historic' First-Ever Stealth Fighter Air-to-Air Kill Over Tehran

Read More