April 4, 2026
One of the two crew members aboard a US F-15E fighter jet shot down over southwestern Iran on Friday has reportedly been rescued and is alive, US and Israeli media said. A search-and-rescue operation is ongoing to locate the jet’s navigator, who remains unaccounted for.
Two US aircraft were reported downed on Friday. In addition to the F-15E over Iran, an A-10 Warthog was said to have gone down in the Gulf region; US officials cited by media reported the A-10’s lone pilot had been safely rescued. US Central Command and the White House had not issued detailed public statements on the incidents at the time of reporting.
Iranian state media and local officials said Iranian forces launched searches for the downed US aircrew and offered a bounty to civilians who captured any pilots alive and handed them to authorities. The state-run Fars news agency said military forces were conducting searches in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province.
US President Donald Trump, in his first comment since the F-15E was downed, told NBC News he would not share details about the search-and-rescue operation and said the loss would not affect talks with Iran. In a separate exchange with The Independent, Trump declined to outline how the US might respond if the missing crew member were harmed, saying only, “We hope that’s not going to happen.”
Military analysts warned the downing highlighted Tehran’s continued ability to threaten US forces. Emma Salisbury, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, told DW that despite the US having more advanced aircraft, Iranian drones and missiles remained a significant danger and that the US did not have air superiority over Iran.
The incidents came amid wider regional fighting and diplomatic strain. Israel said it was conducting strikes on what it called “terror infrastructure” in Beirut and had launched attacks targeting infrastructure in Tehran. The fighting in Lebanon has intensified, with Israel issuing evacuation warnings for southern suburbs of Beirut and correspondent reports of loud explosions across the city. Israel’s strikes have displaced many residents from densely populated districts considered Hezbollah strongholds.
The US Embassy in Beirut on Friday urged American citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial flights were available, citing a volatile security situation with airstrikes, drones and rocket attacks across the country. The embassy warned Iran and its aligned militias might target universities in the region.
UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon said three personnel were injured by an explosion at a UN position near El Adeisse; two were seriously hurt and were evacuated to hospital. Earlier incidents this week included the deaths of peacekeepers in the south, incidents UNIFIL said were under investigation.
Diplomatic mediation efforts reportedly hit a dead end. Pakistan-led talks failed to secure a meeting between US and Iranian officials in Islamabad, sources told the Wall Street Journal, and Iran rejected US demands it called unacceptable. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin separately called for an immediate ceasefire during a phone call, according to the Kremlin.
At the UN, the Security Council postponed a vote on a resolution proposed by Bahrain — backed by several Gulf states — that would have authorized the use of “defensive” force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The draft was reportedly watered down following objections from China, France and Russia. The Council debate underscored concerns that legitimizing force to reopen the strait could further escalate the conflict.
Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz showed signs of limited recovery: the data firm Windward reported 16 cargo ships transited the strait on Wednesday, up from 11 on Tuesday. Most ships hugged the Iranian-controlled corridor near Larak, with a few opting to pass closer to Oman to avoid Iran’s route. President Trump had publicly said the US could “OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT” by force, a remark that prompted questions about how such a plan would be executed.
The conflict has also cast a shadow over religious observances. Jerusalem’s Old City was unusually quiet on Good Friday as Israeli restrictions kept most shops and holy sites closed; a small symbolic Via Dolorosa procession by Franciscan monks was allowed to proceed under tight limits amid fears of missile alerts. Church leaders and local residents expressed sadness at the reduced pilgrim presence and concern for those suffering in neighboring Lebanon.
What is known:
– Two US aircraft were reported downed on Friday: an F-15E over Iran (two crew) and an A-10 in the Gulf region (one pilot).
– One crew member from the F-15E has reportedly been rescued; the other remains missing and a search is ongoing.
– Iran announced searches and offered rewards for capturing US crews.
– The A-10 pilot was reported rescued.
– US and Israeli strikes and Iranian attacks continue across the region, including Lebanon and Iran.
– Diplomacy and UN action have so far failed to stop the escalation; mediation efforts reportedly stalled and the UN Security Council delayed a vote on the Strait of Hormuz.
– UN peacekeepers in Lebanon were injured in recent explosions; the security situation in Lebanon prompted evacuation warnings and urged departures by foreign nationals.