List of aviation shootdowns and accidents during the 2026 Iran war

Video of a suspected Iranian strike on a United States Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, released by Tasnim News Agency, 19 March 2026, the first case of a fifth-generation fighter damaged in combat.

Source: Wikipedia

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List of aviation shootdowns and accidents during the 2026 Iran war

An Israeli Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35I Adir shot down an Iranian Yakovlev Yak-130, scoring the first kill of a manned aircraft by an F-35.

This is a list of aviation shootdowns, incidents and accidents during the 2026 Iran war based on visual evidence or official self-admission from involved parties. It includes proven helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and military drones (UCAVs) losses.

Timeline of aviation shootdowns and accidents

List of aviation shootdowns and accidents during the 2026 Iran war

• 28 February 2026 - The wreckage of an Israeli Elbit Hermes 900 drone, serial number 935, was recorded at Khamaneh city in East Azerbaijan province. • (2) 1 March 2026 - Two Iranian fighters, a Northrop F-5 and a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, were destroyed in an Israeli strike at Tabriz Shahid Madani International Airport in northeast Iran. • 1 March 2026 - Iranian media published footage of an Israeli Elbit Hermes 900 drone being intercepted over Iran. • 1 March 2026 - An Israeli Elbit Hermes 900 was shot down in Khorramabad, Lorestan province, Iran. The drone's wreckage was posted on social media. • (5) 2 March 2026 - US Central Command released footage of the destruction of two IRGC-AF Sukhoi Su-22 aircraft at Shiraz Shahid Dastgheib Airport. Satellite imagery showed two Lockheed C-130 Hercules and an Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft also destroyed at the airport. • (3) 2 March 2026 - Three United States Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagles were shot down over Kuwait by friendly fire from Kuwaiti air defences. The six crew members ejected safely into Kuwait. There is speculation that the three F-15Es were shot down by a Kuwait Air Force McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. One F-15E crashed near Al Jahra in central Kuwait, while the other two crashed near Kuwait City. • 2 March 2026 - An Israeli IAI Heron drone was shot down by a Qaem 114 air defense missile at Khorramabad in Lorestan province, Iran; the interception was recorded in IR mode. • 3 March 2026 - An Israeli Elbit Hermes 900 was shot down in Khomeynishahr, Isfahan province, Iran. The shootdown and wreckage were recorded on video. • 3 March 2026 - An Israeli Elbit Hermes 900, serial number 923 and armed with missiles, was shot down by the IRGC. The drone had minimal damage and was examined by Iranian engineers. • 3 March 2026 - An Israeli IAI Eitan drone was shot down in Andimeshk, Khuzestan province, western Iran. • 3 March 2026 - An Israeli Elbit Hermes 900 was shot down in Margoon County, Fars province, Iran. The drone's wreckage was published on social media. • 3 March 2026 - An Iran Air Airbus A319 airliner, registration EP-IEP, was destroyed in an air strike at Bushehr Airport in southern Iran. • 4 March 2026 - An Iranian Yakovlev Yak-130 was shot down by an Israeli Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II over Tehran in air-to-air combat. The fate of the two Iranian pilots is unknown. The IDF published footage of the interception on X. This event was the first Israeli-Iranian dogfight of the war. It occurred at Latyan Dam near Lavasan city, Tehran province. • (5) 5 March 2026 - CENTCOM released footage showing the destruction of a Northrop F-5, Sukhoi Su-24, Yakovlev Yak-130/Sukhoi Su-25, and damage to two likely non operational Fokker F27 Friendship airliners, at Qasem Soleimani International Airport in Ahvaz, Khuzestan province, Iran. • (3) 5 March 2026 - US officials told CBS News three U.S. General Atomics MQ-9 Reapers were reported lost over Iran. According to US officials, it was not clear where the airframes crashed, but one MQ-9A Reaper crashed on the coast of Iran. The same day one MQ-9A Reaper was shot down and its wreckage was found near Khorramabad. • 6 March 2026 - An Israeli IAI Heron was shot down in Andika, Khuzestan province, Iran. • (2) 6 March 2026 - Two Israeli IAI Eitan drones were shot down in Isfahan, Iran. • 6 March 2026 - An Israeli IAI Heron drone, serial 285, was shot down in Lorestan province, Iran. • 6 March 2026 - A US General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper was shot down in Isfahan, Iran, by IRGC Aerospace Forces. The shootdown and wreckage were recorded on video. • 6 March 2026 - An Israeli Elbit Hermes 900 was shot down in Isfahan, Iran, by IRGC Aerospace Forces. The shootdown and wreckage were recorded on video. • (19) 7 March 2026 - Israeli aircraft attacked Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran. Satellite imagery showed the destruction of 19 aircraft, seven of these were cargo aircraft, including a Harbin Y-12, three Boeing 747s and three Ilyushin Il-76s. The other 12 aircraft include a Qeshm Air Fokker 100, two IRIAF Boeing 707s, an Airbus A340 and Airbus A320 in storage, a Pars Air Bombardier CRJ200, three IRIAF Antonov An-74s, a Mahan Air Boeing 777, a Boeing 737 Classic and a Pouya Air Ilyushin Il-76. • 7 March 2026 - A US General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper was shot down in Hormozgan province, southern Iran. • 7 March 2026 - A US General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper was shot down in Tangestan, Bushehr province, Iran. • 9 March 2026 - An Emirati helicopter crashed in a combat mission, killing two servicemen, Emirati officials reported. • 9 March 2026 - A US General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper was shot down by pro-Iranian Iraqi militias in Basra, Iraq. • 9 March 2026 - An Israeli IAI Heron drone, serial number 21#, was shot down in Markazi province, Iran. • (12) 9 March 2026 - Multiple aircraft were destroyed at Shahid Beheshti International Airport in Isfahan. Satellite imagery confirmed at least three destroyed Grumman F-14 Tomcats and nine Chengdu J-7s. • 10 March 2026 - An Israeli Elbit Hermes 900 was shot down in Borujerd, Lorestan. • 11 March 2026 - A USAF General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper was shot down in Kerman province, Iran. • (3) 11 March 2026 - CENTCOM published videos showing the destruction of a Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a Lockheed P-3 Orion and an Ilyushin Il-76, at Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani Airport in Kerman, Iran. • (2) 12 March 2026 - A USAF Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial tanker crashed following what CENTCOM stated was a refueling incident over Western Iraq, an apparent mid-air collision with another KC-135. The six crew onboard were reported dead. The second KC-135, serial number 63-8017, made an emergency landing at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, having lost the upper portion of its vertical stabilizer. • (5) 13 March 2026 - Two CENTCOM officials reported five USAF Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft were moderately damaged by an Iranian missile strike at Prince Sultan Air Base in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia. • 13 March 2026 - A USAF General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down by Iranian forces in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Iranian media published footage of the shootdown and wreckage. • (3) 15 March 2026 - Iranian ballistic and drone attacks leave one General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drone from the Italian Air Force destroyed in the ground at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait. Two Italian Eurofighter Typhoons were also damaged by shrapnel and remained unoperational. • 15 March 2026 - An Iranian government Airbus A340 airliner, registration EP-IGA, was destroyed in an IDF strike on Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran. • (3) 18 March 2026 - Three private planes at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv were damaged by debris from intercepted Iranian missiles. • 18 March 2026 - An IRIAF Bell 214 helicopter was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike on Sanandaj Airport, Kurdistan province, western Iran. • 19 March 2026 - A US Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II was damaged by likely Iranian ground fire during a combat mission over Iran. The aircraft made an emergency landing at a US airbase in the Middle East, with the pilot reportedly in stable condition but suffering shrapnel wounds. CENTCOM confirmed the emergency landing and claimed the aircraft landed safely, while an NPR correspondent reported the aircraft made a hard landing and would be out of service for a long period. Iranian officials claimed it as a victory for its air-defense forces: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had "seriously damaged" the F-35 over central Iran. Iran's Tasnim News Agency released a video purporting to show the interception, perhaps by a low-quality infrared search and track system. A Ukrainian news agency said IRGC's Raad air defense system could have hit the aircraft, while Chinese analysts told the South China Morning Post that the damage was likely caused by an adapted air-to-air missile rather than a larger S-300-style SAM. It was the F-35's first combat-related emergency landing. If confirmed, it would be the first Iranian interception of a US aircraft.. • (3) 19 March 2026 - US officials told Bloomberg a total of 12 General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones were lost in the war, including 9 shot down by Iran, one destroyed in the ground on Jordan by an Iranian missile, and two crashed. • 20 March 2026 - A US General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper was shot down in Bushehr province, Iran. The remains of the engulfed drone were recorded and published in social media. • 21 March 2026 - The Ministry of Defense of Qatar said a helicopter was lost due to technical reasons and crashed in the sea. Of the crew of seven, six were reported dead and the remaining missing. The crew consisted of four Qatari servicemen, a Turkish soldier and two Turkish civilians working for Aselsan, a Turkish defense firm. • (5) 21 March - At least five aircraft parked at airports sustained damage from Iranian attacks. Two of these - including an Emirates Airbus A380 and a smaller Saudia Airbus A321 - were hit while parked at Dubai International Airport early in the conflict, according to people familiar with the incidents. • 21 March 2026 - An Iranian Chengdu J-7 fighter was destroyed in an airstrike on Shahid Sadooghi Airport in Yazd. • 22 March 2026 - An Israeli Elbit Hermes 450 Zik drone was shot down by Hezbollah fighters using a MANPADS in south Lebanon. • 23 March 2026 - A Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter of the US Army's 4th Combat Aviation Brigade was damaged at Camp Victory, Baghdad International Airport. Its tail boom was hit in a drone strike by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iranian backed militia. • (3+) 27 March 2026 - An Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia left multiple US aircraft destroyed or damaged, including at least one Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker,, one Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS destroyed and one damaged. At least 29 US servicemen were wounded during a week of attacks. • 28 March 2026 - A MQ-9 Reaper drone is destroyed by Iranian air defenses in Shiraz, southwestern Iran. • 28 March 2026 - A Israeli IAI Heron 1 (Shoval) was shot down by IRGC Aerospace Forces using an air defence missile, during a combat sortie in.the east of Hormuz, Iran. • 30 March 2026 - An Antonov An-32 transport aircraft of the Iraqi Air Force was damaged at Baghdad International Airport by an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, the Popular Mobilization Forces, using Shaheb-12 missiles. • (2) 31 March 2026 - Iranian forces shot down two MQ-9A Reaper drones over Isfahan, using the AD-08 Majid short-range air defense system, which is designed for low-altitude engagements. • 1 April 2026 - An Israeli Elbit Hermes 450 Zik drone was shot down by Hezbollah fighters in south Lebanon, Hezbollah and Israeli sources reported.

Total aircraft losses

List of aviation shootdowns and accidents during the 2026 Iran war

<table><thead><tr><th>Aircraft losses</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Airframe</td><td>Iran</td><td>Israel</td><td>United States</td><td>Others</td></tr><tr><td>Airbus A319</td><td>1</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Airbus A320</td><td>1</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Airbus A321</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>1 (damaged)</td></tr><tr><td>Airbus A340</td><td>2</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Airbus A380</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>1 (damaged)</td></tr><tr><td>Antonov An-32</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>1 (damaged)</td></tr><tr><td>Antonov An-74</td><td>3</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Bell 214</td><td>1</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Boeing 707</td><td>2</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Boeing 737 Classic</td><td>1</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Boeing 747</td><td>3</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Boeing 777</td><td>1</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Boeing E-3 Sentry</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>2 (1 damaged)</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>8 (6 damaged)</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Bombardier CRJ200</td><td>1</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Chengdu J-7</td><td>10</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Eurofighter Typhoon</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>2 (damaged)</td></tr><tr><td>Elbit Hermes 450</td><td>—</td><td>2</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Elbit Hermes 900</td><td>—</td><td>8</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Fokker 100</td><td>1</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Fokker F27 Friendship</td><td>2 (damaged)</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>16</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Grumman F-14 Tomcat</td><td>3</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Harbin Y-12</td><td>1</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>IAI Eitan</td><td>—</td><td>3</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>IAI Heron</td><td>—</td><td>5</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Ilyushin Il-76</td><td>6</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>1 (damaged)</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Lockheed C-130 Hercules</td><td>3</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Lockheed P-3 Orion</td><td>1</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>3</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II</td><td>1</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>McDonnell Douglas MD-80</td><td>1</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Northrop F-5</td><td>2</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>1 (damaged)</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Sukhoi Su-22</td><td>2</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Sukhoi Su-24</td><td>1</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Yakovlev Yak-130</td><td>1</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Unknown Civilian Aircraft</td><td>1</td><td>3 (damaged)</td><td>—</td><td>3 (damaged)</td></tr><tr><td>Unknown Helicopter</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>1 , 1</td></tr><tr><td>Total</td><td>52</td><td>21</td><td>31</td><td>11</td></tr></tbody></table>