A post shared on X claims Iran destroyed 20 Israeli F-35 aircraft.
Verdict: False
There is no evidence that F-35s were destroyed in the Iranian attack. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that no aircraft were damaged or destroyed in the attack. Satellite imagery shows damage to one hardened shelter known to house F-35s.
Fact Check:
Iran attacked Israel with nearly 200 ballistic missiles, targeting several military installations such as airbases and the Mossad headquarters, according to BBC News. Israel and the U.S. shot down several missiles, though others hit Israeli territory, per the outlet.
Social media users are claiming that more than 20 F-35 fighters were destroyed. One user wrote, “BREAKING: More than 20 5th generation F-35 fighter jets were destroyed in Israel Say goodbye to your American taxmoney!”
There is no evidence for this claim. The Times of Israel reported that the Israeli military reported no damage done to fighter jets or drones. The IDF said that the attack was “ineffective,” per the Times of Israel.
The IDF did acknowledge its airbases were hit, per Times of Israel military correspondent Emanuel Fabian. Fabian said that the IDF found that the damage was done to office buildings and maintenance areas.
“The military acknowledges that airbases were hit in the Iranian missile attack on the country. The impacts damaged office buildings and other maintenance areas in the bases that do not impact the IAF’s functioning, according to the military,” Fabian tweeted.
U.S. officials said that Iranian missiles did minor damage to Nevatim Airbase, which is the home of the Israeli Air Force’s F-35Is, according to The Wall Street Journal. (RELATED: Video Shows Iranian Missiles, Not Israeli Interceptors)
Satellite imagery taken of the base shows at least 32 missiles managed to strike the airbase. The image was published by the Middlebury Institute of International Studies of Monterrey.
Decker Evenleth, an analyst at CNA, wrote in an Oct. 4 blog post that “the F-35 shelters, which appear to have mainly weathered the storm.” The imagery shows that one of the “shelters does appear to have sustained some damage, perhaps even a direct hit.”
Update 10/04/2024: This article has been updated with satellite imagery and analysis . The rating has been changed to false.