Iran Claims Downing of Israeli F-35 Near Tabriz, Missile Strike on Alleged Mossad HQ Near Tel Aviv
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Tabriz / Tel Aviv – In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing covert conflict between Iran and Israel, Iranian officials have announced two major military actions: the alleged downing of an Israeli F-35 fighter jet near the city of Tabriz, and a missile strike targeting what Tehran claims to be the headquarters of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency near Tel Aviv.
The first claim, reported by Iran’s state-affiliated IRNA news agency, comes from Majid Farshi, Director General for Crisis Management in East Azerbaijan Province. According to Farshi, Iranian air defense systems successfully intercepted and destroyed an Israeli F-35 stealth aircraft operating in the vicinity of Tabriz, a strategic city in northwestern Iran situated less than 100 kilometers from the Turkish border.
In addition to the fighter jet, Farshi stated that two combat drones had also been neutralized in the same area. He further alleged that Israeli forces had launched strikes on three separate locations around Tabriz earlier in the day.
In parallel, Iranian media — specifically the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, as cited by Russia’s TASS — reported that Iran carried out a missile attack against what it described as the Mossad’s headquarters near Tel Aviv. The exact location and nature of the target remain unspecified, and, as with the Tabriz incident, no independent confirmation has been made available. Israeli authorities have so far declined to comment on the claims.
If substantiated, these twin developments would signify a marked intensification in Iran’s readiness to engage in direct military retaliation against Israeli assets, both within its own territory and beyond its borders.
The F-35 Lightning II, a cornerstone of the Israeli Air Force’s aerial superiority, is a fifth-generation multirole stealth aircraft whose loss — operational or symbolic — would represent a significant blow. The alleged missile strike near Tel Aviv, targeting what is purported to be a high-value intelligence site, further underscores Tehran’s evolving posture.
Nonetheless, the absence of independently verifiable evidence, coupled with the politically charged nature of the announcements, warrants cautious scrutiny. Both claims come amid heightened tensions and a long-standing pattern of mutual deniability, covert action, and information warfare between the two adversaries.
At this stage, while the rhetoric and reports are gaining international attention, the lack of corroboration from neutral observers or satellite intelligence leaves open a wide margin for skepticism. Still, the implications of such claims — if verified — would be considerable, potentially triggering a cycle of reprisal that could upset the already fragile equilibrium in the broader Middle East.
