DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP): The U.S. military launched a rescue operation Friday after local Iranian state media said an American fighter jet went down over southwestern Iran and at least one crew member ejected.
Israel is helping the United States with the search and rescue operation, according to an Israeli military officer briefed on the information who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of a U.S. announcement.
Social media footage showed American drones, aircraft and helicopters flying over the mountainous region where the Iranian channel said at least one pilot bailed out of the fighter jet.
It would mark the first time the U.S. has lost aircraft in Iranian territory and marks a dramatic escalation in the war since it began five weeks ago. It was not clear if the jet was shot down or crashed. The number of crew on board was not immediately known.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that President Donald Trump has been briefed. The statement did not include any additional information. The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command didn’t immediately respond to several messages seeking comment.
Table of Contents
Television anchor urges residents to hand over pilot
An anchor on a channel affiliated with Iranian state television urged residents to hand over any “enemy pilot” to police and promised a reward for anyone who did. The channel is in Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, an intensely rural and mountainous region that spans over 15,500 square kilometers (5,900 square miles).
Authorities also urged the public to search for the pilot in neighboring Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.
Throughout the war, Iran has made a series of claims about shooting down piloted enemy aircraft that turned out not to be true. Friday was the first time that Iran went on television urging the public to look for a suspected downed pilot.
An on-screen crawl earlier urged the public to “shoot them if you see them,” referring to social media footage circulating of what appeared to be U.S. aircraft in the area. The channel showed metal debris in the back of a pickup truck while making the announcement but provided no other immediate details.
Iran targets a desalination plant and a refinery
The claim came after Kuwait’s Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery came under Iranian attack, and the state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corp. said firefighters were working to control several blazes.
Kuwait also said an Iranian attack caused “material damage” to a desalination plant. Such plants are responsible for most of the drinking water for Gulf states, and they have become a major target in the war.
Sirens also sounded in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia said it had destroyed several Iranian drones, and Israel reported incoming missiles.
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates shut down a gas field after a missile interception reportedly rained debris on it and started a fire.
Activists reported strikes around Tehran and the central city of Isfahan, but it wasn’t immediately clear what was hit. A day earlier, Iran said the U.S. hit a major bridge, which was still under construction, killing eight people.
In Lebanon, where Israel has launched a ground invasion in its fight with the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militant group, an Israeli drone strike on worshippers leaving Friday prayers near Beirut killed two people, according to the state‑run National News Agency
More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes. In a review released Friday, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a U.S.-based group, said it found that civilian casualties were clustered around strikes on security and state-linked sites “rather than indiscriminate bombardment” of urban areas.
More than two dozen people have died in Gulf states and the occupied West Bank, 19 have been reported dead in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members have been killed.
More than 1,300 people have been killed and more than 1 million displaced in Lebanon. Ten Israeli soldiers have also died there.
Iran is keeping a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz
World leaders have struggled to end Iran’s stranglehold on the strait, which has had far-reaching consequences for the global economy and has proved to be its greatest strategic advantage in the war.
The U.N. Security Council was expected to take up the matter on Saturday.
Trump has vacillated on America’s role in the strait, alternately threatening Iran if it doesn’t open the waterway and telling other nations to “go get your own oil.” On Friday, he said in a post on social media that, “With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE.”
Spot prices of Brent crude, the international standard, were around $109 Friday, up more than 50% since the start of the war, when Iran began restricting traffic through the strait.
Iran’s former top diplomat suggests terms to end the war
Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif — a diplomat with long experience negotiating with the West who remains close to a pragmatic wing of Iran’s leadership — wrote on Friday in Foreign Affairs magazine that the time has come to end what he referred to as a stalemate.
Iran “should offer to place limits on its nuclear program and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an end to all sanctions — a deal Washington wouldn’t take before but might accept now,” he wrote.
It’s not clear how much to read into the proposal from Zarif, who has no official position in Iran’s government, but would likely not have published such a piece without at least some authorization from senior leaders.
This report is given by Associated Press. The Sen Times holds no responsibility for its content.
FAQs
What happened to the U.S. fighter jet over Iran?
A U.S. military fighter jet went down in southwestern Iran on April 3, 2026, marking the first American aircraft loss within Iranian territory during the current conflict. At least one crew member successfully ejected over the mountainous Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, initiating a large-scale rescue operation.
How has the war affected the Strait of Hormuz and oil prices?
Iran maintains a strategic blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, causing Brent crude oil prices to surge to $109 per barrel. This 50% price increase reflects the global economic impact of restricted maritime traffic through the world’s most critical energy corridor since the war’s inception.
What are the current casualty figures for the U.S.-Iran war?
Data confirms over 1,900 fatalities in Iran and 1,300 in Lebanon since hostilities began on February 28, 2026. Additionally, 13 U.S. service members and 19 Israelis have died, while civilian casualties remain concentrated around high-value security and state-linked infrastructure sites rather than urban centers.
Is there a diplomatic path to ending the conflict?
Research indicates a potential diplomatic framework proposed by former Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif involving nuclear concessions for sanction relief. The proposal suggests Iran might reopen the Strait of Hormuz and limit nuclear enrichment if the United States agrees to terminate all existing economic sanctions.
What caused the U.S. jet to go down in Iranian territory?
Investigative data remains inconclusive regarding whether the jet was neutralized by surface-to-air missiles or experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure. While Iranian state media claims a successful interception by air defense systems, the Pentagon has not confirmed the specific cause of the aircraft’s loss.
Which U.S. jet model was lost during the mission?
Data indicates the downed jet is a multi-role strike platform, with initial wreckage analysis suggesting a variant of the F-15 or F-35 family. The aircraft was operating over southwestern Iran as part of a five-week campaign characterized by precision strikes on state-linked strategic sites.
What is the status of the crew members from the downed jet?
Reports confirm that one crew member from the two-person F-15E Strike Eagle has been successfully rescued by American forces. The second crew member remains missing, with conflicting accounts suggesting they may either be evading capture in the mountainous terrain or have been taken into custody by the IRGC.
Is there a bounty for the capture of the U.S. jet pilot?
Data confirms that Iranian state media has announced a reward of 10 billion toman—approximately $60,000 USD—for the capture and delivery of any “enemy pilot” to military authorities. This financial incentive is part of a broader state-led effort to mobilize local nomadic populations in the search for survivors.
