An F-35I fighter of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) shot down an Air Force Yak-130 in the skies over Tehran. This was reported by the IDF press service.
This is the first case in history in which a manned fighter aircraft was shot down by an F-35 jet fighter.
The Yak-130 is a light two-seat Russian-made aircraft. The aircraft is armed with R-73 air-to-air missiles. According to IRNA, Yak-130 aircraft arrived in Iran in September 2023.
At that time, the aircraft were delivered to the Islamic Republic in disassembled form. After assembly by local specialists, they were sent to a base in Isfahan for testing.
Earlier, Yak-130 aircraft were "spotted" in service with the Ethiopian army, and footage appeared on social media. No official information on the deliveries was received.