An American fighter jet went down in Iran on April 3, leading the US military to launch an urgent search and rescue operation. US and Israeli officials said one crew member had been rescued, while officials were still working to understand the full situation. Early reports did not clearly confirm whether the aircraft was shot down or crashed for another reason.
According to reports, the rescue effort took place in a mountainous area of southwestern Iran, where American drones, aircraft and helicopters were seen operating during the mission. Iranian state media said at least one person had ejected and urged local residents to report any pilot they found.
The White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the incident, but no detailed official explanation was immediately released. The event drew major international attention because it marked the first known loss of a US aircraft inside Iranian territory during the current conflict, highlighting a serious new escalation in the war.