Israeli F-35 Scores World-First Air-to-Air Kill, Shoots Down Iranian Yak-130 Over Tehran

An Israeli Air Force F-35I fighter jet shot down a Russian-made Iranian Yak-130 trainer/light combat aircraft over Tehran on March 4, 2026, marking the first air-to-air kill by an F-35 in world history and Israel's first engagement against a manned aircraft in approximately 40 years. The Iranian jet reportedly endangered Israeli aircraft during a bombing raid targeting Iranian regime sites, prompting the F-35 pilot to lock onto the target and fire a missile. Footage circulating online showed the aircraft crashing in the Lavasan Mountains north of the capital. IAF Chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar called the interception "historic," and the Israeli Air Force plans to mark the jet with a victory decal — the first such marking in nearly two decades.