Israel claims first-ever F-35 air-to-air kill after Iranian YAK-130 jet shot down over Tehran - watch video

Israel’s air force has released footage showing one of its stealth fighter jets shooting down an Iranian aircraft over Tehran, in what the military called a “historic interception” during the escalating conflict between the two countries.

The video, shared by the Israeli military, shows a fighter jet locking onto and firing a missile at an Iranian aircraft. The black-and-white clip, accompanied by audio of the main theme from the film Star Wars composed by John Williams, captures the moment the aircraft is struck and begins falling from the sky.




According to the Israeli military, the interception took place on Wednesday when an Israeli F-35I Adir shot down an Iranian Yak-130 over Tehran. The incident is being described as a milestone for the aircraft and the air force, marking the first time an F-35 has shot down a manned aircraft in combat. It also represents the first air-to-air engagement involving Israeli jets and a manned enemy aircraft in roughly four decades.

Israeli officials say the interception occurred while their forces were conducting strikes against Iranian military infrastructure in and around Tehran as part of ongoing operations aimed at securing air superiority over the Iranian capital.

First manned aircraft shot down by an F-35

The Israeli military said the interception took place during an Israeli strike mission over Tehran when the stealth fighter encountered the Iranian aircraft in the air.

In a radio recording released by the military, Israeli Air Force chief Maj Gen Tomer Bar told the pilot the interception was unprecedented.

“The historic interception over the skies of Tehran is an expression of the air force’s power and your personal determination. The next mission is already waiting for you,” he said.

Officials at the airbase housing Israel’s F-35 fleet said the pilot quickly identified the aircraft, locked onto it and fired a missile. The Iranian jet was shot down while the Israeli fighter was still engaged in targeting Iranian regime sites in the capital.

The commander of the base said the Iranian aircraft posed a potential threat to Israeli planes operating in the area.

“The Iranian plane endangered our aircraft. It could have hit our plane, so we shot it down,” the commander said.

The pilot involved in the interception was described as relatively junior, although the airbase commander said it was not his first mission inside Iranian airspace.

The downing is particularly notable because Israeli fighter jets have not engaged and destroyed a manned enemy aircraft since November 1985, when Israeli F-15 Eagle jets shot down two Syrian MiG-23 aircraft over Lebanon.

What is the Yak-130

The Iranian aircraft shot down over Tehran was identified as a Yak-130, a jet originally developed by the Russian manufacturer Yakovlev in partnership with the Italian firm Aermacchi.

Development of the aircraft began in the 1990s as a next-generation advanced trainer designed to prepare pilots for modern combat aircraft. After the Russian-Italian partnership ended in 2000, both countries developed their own versions of the aircraft.

The Russian Yak-130 entered service with the Russian air force in 2010. The Italian version evolved into the M-346 Master, which entered service with the Italian air force in 2015 and is also used by Israel as a training aircraft.

Despite being primarily designed for training, the Yak-130 can also perform light combat roles. The aircraft can carry up to 3,000 kilograms of weapons across nine external hardpoints, including guided and unguided missiles, bombs and cannons.

Powered by two AI-222-25 turbofan engines, the aircraft is designed to mimic the flight characteristics of modern fighter jets, allowing pilots to train in conditions similar to real combat. Its advanced avionics and digital flight control system can be programmed to simulate different aircraft behaviours, making it a key platform in modern pilot training.