Overview
- U.S. officials confirmed Friday that a combat jet went down inside Iran, and U.S. forces launched a search-and-rescue mission that recovered one of the two crew members, according to CNN.
- Iranian state media urged residents to capture any surviving U.S. pilots for a cash reward, raising the risk of a public hunt in rural provinces near the reported crash area.
- Images and source briefings point to an F-15E Strike Eagle, though Iranian outlets at first labeled the wreckage an F-35, highlighting competing claims in fast-moving information battles.
- The downing followed U.S. strikes on Iranian infrastructure and came as President Trump warned that bridges and then power plants could be targeted next, while Iran struck regional sites including a Kuwaiti desalination plant and refinery.
- The war phase that began on February 28 with U.S.-Israeli strikes has expanded to daily missile and drone attacks, civilian damage such as the Karaj bridge strike with casualties, and economic strain tied to Iran’s pressure on the Strait of Hormuz.