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#1: US F-15E STEALTH FIGHTER JET


US fighter jet shot down over Iran, search under way for crew member, US officials say
By Phil Stewart
April 3, 2026

Summary
One F-15E crew member recovered, search continues for second after ejection over Iran
Iran urges civilians to find survivors, offers commendation for their capture or killing
War remains unpopular in US, majority favors quick end

WASHINGTON, April 3 (Reuters) - A U.S. fighter jet ​has been shot down over Iran and search-and-rescue efforts have so far recovered one of two crew members who ejected, a U.S. official ‌told Reuters, in the first known incident of its kind in the nearly five-week-old war.
The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command did not respond to requests for comment.


The prospect of a U.S. pilot being alive and on the run inside Iran raises the stakes for the U.S. in a conflict that, according to opinion polls, has struggled to win popular support among Americans.

It also ​presents a challenge to the U.S. military, which faces the twin goals of trying to save the life of an American behind enemy lines ​while safeguarding anyone involved in perilous rescue missions.

The incident comes over a week after U.S. President Donald Trump said in the ⁠Oval Office that Iran's military had been defeated to the point that "we literally have planes flying over Tehran and other parts of their country. They can't ​do a thing about it."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had been briefed, without confirming any details of the incident.
Iranian officials called on civilians to ​be on the lookout for survivors and have flooded social media with images that purport to show wreckage from the aircraft.

Two U.S. officials said the aircraft was an F-15E fighter jet, which has two seats: one for a pilot and the second for a weapons systems officer. It was unclear which of the two was recovered, and the U.S. official who ​confirmed the recovery did not offer any details on how it took place.
U.S. air crews undergo training for what to do if they go down behind ​enemy lines, called Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training, or SERE, opens new tab, but few airmen are fluent in Persian and staying undetected while seeking rescue will be a challenge.

William Goodhind, a ‌forensic imagery ⁠analyst with Contested Ground, said images of the plane's tail fin seen in photos posted on social media are consistent with that of an F-15E Strike Eagle, which carries two crew.

The governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province said anyone who captured or killed the crew "would be specially commended," Iran's semi-official news agency ISNA reported.

The incident follows threats this week by Trump to bomb the country back to the "Stone Age," including to attack Iran's energy infrastructure and desalination plants, as he presses Tehran to end ​the war on U.S. terms.

So far, 13 ​U.S. military service members have been ⁠killed in the conflict and more than 300 have been wounded, according to the U.S. Central Command. No U.S. troops have been taken prisoner by Iran.

While Trump has repeatedly sought to portray the Iranian military as in tatters, Reuters first reported on ​U.S. intelligence showing that Iran retains large amounts of missile and drone capability.

As of last week, the U.S. could only determine with certainty ​that it had destroyed about one-third ⁠of Iran's missile arsenal. The status of about another third was less clear but bombings likely damaged, destroyed or buried those missiles in underground tunnels and bunkers, Reuters sources said.

The U.S. and Israeli war with Iran has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands of people and hitting the global economy with soaring energy prices that are ⁠fuelling fears ​of inflation in countries around the world.
The war is unpopular with Americans, with two-thirds believing the ​U.S. should work to end its involvement in the conflict quickly, even if that means not achieving the goals set out by the Trump administration, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed this week.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-fighter-jet-shot-down-over-iran-search-underway-crew-us-official-says-2026-04-03/


#2: US A-10 Warthog fighter Jet

Second American plane involved in Iran war crashes; US officials say pilot safely rescued

Another American plane involved in the war in Iran crashed in the Persian Gulf today, according to US officials cited by The New York Times.
According to the Times, the A-10 Warthog went down near the Strait of Hormuz at around the same time that an F-15E was shot down over Iran.
The report says the pilot from the A-10 was safely rescued. The US officials do not provide further details on how the plane crashed.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/second-american-plane-involved-in-iran-war-crashes-us-officials-say-pilot-safely-rescued/


#3: US Black Hawk helicopter

Two US helicopters reportedly hit by Iranian fire while searching for downed plane crew members

Two American helicopters were struck by Iranian fire during the search and rescue efforts for two crew members from an F-15E fighter jet that was shot down today over Iran, NBC News reports. One crew member has since been rescued.

Citing a US official, the report says the “service members are all safe” after being hit by Iranian fire during the search and rescue mission.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/two-us-helicopters-reportedly-hit-by-iranian-fire-while-searching-for-downed-plane-2nd-crew-member/
Myndd44 Nlfpmod

Trump and US are now a laughing stock. Smh.

Iranian parliament speaker mocks US over downed jet
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has mocked the US on his X account after reports that an American fighter jet was shot down over Iran.

“After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from 'regime change' to 'Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?',” a post on Ghalibaf's account says.

Trump said on 31 March that there has been regime change in Iran, saying the new crop of Iranian leaders are "much less radicalised" and more "rational".

Ghalibaf has also sarcastically posted, "Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses."

FreeStuffsNG:
Trump and US are now a laughing stock. Smh.

Iranian parliament speaker mocks US over downed jet
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has mocked the US on his X account after reports that an American fighter jet was shot down over Iran.

“After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from 'regime change' to 'Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?',” a post on Ghalibaf's account says.

Trump said on 31 March that there has been regime change in Iran, saying the new crop of Iranian leaders are "much less radicalised" and more "rational".

Ghalibaf has also sarcastically posted, "Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses."

You can replace military hardwares, weapons can be rebuilt, but you can't replace top leaders with decades of experience.

In a single day, Iran made a hat-trick +1 hit on the multimillion dollars US fighter aircraft!

The cheap radar system of Iran which uses low frequency radiation has been locking on the US fighter jets and activates very potent air defence missiles now hitting the US fighter jets!

So much for the expensive US fighter jets.
Pride goeth before a fall.

Several US soldiers on rescue team shot.

JUST IN: Reports: Helicopters rescued pilot shot down in Iran under fire; soldiers injured by small arms fire
Two American helicopters were hit by Iranian fire during the rescue operation following the downing of an F-15E fighter jet in southwestern Iran. This is according to a report on the American NBC network citing an official U.S. source, who noted that the crew members are safe. Simultaneously, CBS network reported that the pilot was rescued by helicopters, with at least one of them taking small arms fire that caused injuries to several crew members. Two official U.S. sources said the helicopter managed to land safely and that all those involved are receiving medical treatment. It was noted that the search continues for the second crew member who was on the downed fighter jet.

Jokay07:
You can replace military hardwares, weapons can be rebuilt, but you can't replace top leaders with decades of experience.

Iran is like hydra, you cut off one head, 2 more shall grow in it place. Just as military hardware can be replace, so has leaders, nobody is indispensable. With death of those leaders, did the war end, instead it united them more.

masterfactor:
Iran is like hydra, you cut off one head, 2 more shall grow in it place. Just as military hardware can be replace, so has leaders, nobody is indispensable. With death of those leaders, did the war end, instead it united them more.

Yes. I agree with you on that.
Let's me focus on using your Military Generals as "Shooting practice" or to sharpen my shooting skills while you focus on bringing down my jets.
We are both sharp shooters.