An Israeli Air Force F-35I Adir stealth fighter jet shot down an Iranian Air Force Yak-130 over Tehran on Wednesday, marking the first time the platform has downed a manned aircraft in combat.

The Israel Defense Forces announced the engagement, which occurred during broad-scale strikes on Iranian targets in the capital. The IDF stated on X that this was "the first shootdown in history of a manned fighter aircraft by an F-35 ‘Adir’ fighter jet." The Yak-130, a Russian-made two-seat combat trainer capable of light attack missions, was targeted after Iran's air force scrambled to intercept Israeli aircraft.

Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, commander of the Israeli Air Force, praised the pilots involved, saying, "The historic shootdown over the Tehran skies is a testament to the strength of the Israeli Air Force and to your personal determination. The war continues – return home safely. Get some rest. The next mission is already waiting for you." No details were provided on the status of the Iranian pilots or any damage to the Israeli jet.

This marks Israel's first air-to-air victory against a manned fighter in nearly 40 years, with the last occurring in 1985 when an F-15 downed two Syrian MiG-23s over Lebanon. The F-35I Adir, Israel's customized version of the U.S.-made Lightning II, entered service in 2016 and has previously engaged only drones and missiles.

The incident unfolded on day five of the Israel-Iran war, part of Operation Epic Fury, a joint U.S.-Israeli campaign targeting Iran's military infrastructure. Israeli strikes hit command centers of Iranian security forces and Basij paramilitary sites in Tehran with dozens of munitions. U.S. forces have struck nearly 2,000 Iranian targets in the operation's first 100 hours, deploying over 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets, two aircraft carriers and bombers.

U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper described the effort as "an unprecedented operation to eliminate Iran’s ability to threaten Americans as they’ve been doing nearly half a century," noting the largest U.S. buildup in the Middle East in a generation. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani of the IDF indicated the campaign is prepared to last weeks, with no ground invasion planned.

Iran has not officially confirmed the loss, though state media outlet Tasnim claimed its air defenses downed an Israeli F-35 near Tabriz, a report unverified by the IDF. The conflict has seen Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel and regional U.S. assets, with interceptions by coalition forces including Qatar.