F-35 Iran, US winding down war, Trump Iran war, Marines Middle East, US military Iran day 21

A US F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at an American airbase in the Middle East on Friday after being struck by what sources believe was Iranian fire, CNN reported. The pilot is in stable condition, according to US Central Command. If confirmed, it would mark the first US combat aircraft hit by Iran during the 21-day war that began on February 28.

The incident unfolded on a day of sharp contradictions in Washington's messaging. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the United States is "getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East." He listed among those objectives the degradation of Iran's missile capabilities, the destruction of its air force and navy, and the protection of Israel and Gulf Arab states.

Yet at the same time, thousands of additional US Marines and sailors are heading toward the Middle East, US officials confirmed to CNN. Trump, when asked directly by reporters whether he was sending ground troops, said "No. I'm not putting troops anywhere." He then added: "If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you."

Israel launched what it described as "massive strikes" on Iran's Noor region on the shores of the Caspian Sea early Friday, extending its bombing campaign to a new geographic front. Across the region, UAE air defenses intercepted four ballistic missiles and 26 drones launched from Iran on Friday. Since the war began, the UAE has intercepted 338 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,740 drones, suffering the deaths of two armed forces members and six civilians.

Saudi Arabia intercepted 10 drones in its eastern region and one in the north. Kuwait's air defenses destroyed 15 of 25 drones fired at the country. Iran also struck targets in Haifa, Israel, and the Ras Laffan LNG facility in Qatar, following Israel's strike on Iran's South Pars gas field — a move Trump said he had not been informed of in advance and objected to strongly.

Wall Street ended Friday sharply lower, with the S&P 500 down 1.5 percent, as oil prices surged on fears that prolonged supply disruptions could trigger a global economic downturn. The IEA warned that the conflict represents "the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market."