IDF Rejects Iran’s Report on F‑35 Loss, Accuses Iranian Outlets of Spreading Lies

In the midst of a dramatic upsurge in hostilities between Iran and Israel, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Saturday rejected Iranian media reports of two Israeli F-35 fighter jets being shot down, terming the claims as "completely false."

Iranian state media earlier in the day had claimed that its military's air defence forces had shot down two Israeli F-35 fighter jets and a number of micro air vehicles. However, the IDF quickly refuted the assertion, claiming that it was fake news.

"Complete FAKE NEWS," wrote IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani on social media platform X, adding, “While the Iranian regime spreads lies, we’re taking down real threats like this Iranian UAV shot down over northern Israel this morning.” His post also included a video of an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle being intercepted and destroyed by Israeli forces.

The exchange comes after a major military escalation. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the start of 'Operation Rising Lion', a military offensive designed to combat Iran's nuclear aspiration and deter what Israel sees as an existential threat.

Netanyahu said the operation would continue "for as many days as it takes" to neutralize the threat of Iran's weapons programme.

The situation worsened further on early Saturday when Iran fired a new wave of missile attacks at Israel. The attack included two rounds of surface-to-surface missiles, with less than 100 projectiles, the IDF said. The majority of them were destroyed by Israel's air defense systems, while others allegedly failed to hit their targets.

"There is minimal damage to structures, some of which are caused by landslides," explained Brig. Gen. Efi Dufferin, an IDF spokesman, during a press conference. He also underscored Israel's determination to continue hitting Iranian military capabilities.

"Israel will not allow Iran to become more powerful or produce high volumes of missiles that could be an existential threat to us," Dufferin said. "It is conceivable that there could be additional barrages of gunfire in the future. For that reason, we are doing everything in our power to eliminate this threat."

The events represent one of the most bitter flare-ups in the current Iran-Israel confrontation and indicate the possibility of more military confrontations in the near future.