By Gabe Whisnant and Joshua Rhett Miller
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Iran shot down two U.S. military aircraft in separate incidents Friday, with one American service member rescued and at least one other missing, marking a significant escalation nearly five weeks into the widening conflict.
It was the first time U.S. aircraft have been downed since the war began, and came two days after President Donald Trump declared in a national address that the United States had “beaten and completely decimated Iran” and would “finish the job” quickly.
Officials said one fighter jet was shot down over southwestern Iran. A U.S. crew member from that aircraft was rescued, but a second remained missing as U.S. forces conducted an ongoing search-and-rescue operation.
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Neither the White House nor the Pentagon publicly released details about the downed aircraft, the pilots, or the rescue effort. In a brief telephone interview with NBC News, Trump declined to discuss the operation but said the incident would not affect negotiations with Iran.
“No, not at all. No, it’s war,” Trump said.
Separately, Iranian state media reported that a U.S. A-10 attack aircraft crashed into the Persian Gulf after being struck by Iranian air defense forces. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military situation, said earlier it was unclear whether the "warthog" aircraft crashed or was shot down, whether Iran was directly involved, or the status of its crew. CNN reported Friday night that the A-10 pilot was rescued beyond Iran's boundary after facing fire near the Strait of Hormuz.
Department of Defense officials did not immediately return an inquiry by Newsweek seeking additional details Friday.
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US Fighter Jet Shot Down: What We Know
The Pentagon notified the House Armed Services Committee that the status of a second service member from the downed F-F-15 fighter jet remained unknown.
In an email obtained by The Associated Press, the military said it received notification of “an aircraft being shot down” in the Middle East, without providing further details about the incident, the aircraft type or its crew.
The downings occurred as Iran continued firing on targets across the Middle East on Friday, maintaining pressure on Israel and Gulf Arab states despite U.S. and Israeli assertions that Iran’s military capabilities have been largely destroyed.
Iran’s ongoing attacks on regional energy infrastructure and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz — a critical waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas flows during peacetime — have rattled global markets. Oil prices surged, stocks fell sharply, and analysts warned of rising costs for fuel, food and other basic goods.
Aircraft Losses Raise Stakes for U.S. Military Involvement
Before word emerged that one U.S. crew member had been rescued, social media footage appeared to show American drones, aircraft and helicopters operating over a mountainous area where a television channel affiliated with Iran’s state broadcaster said at least one pilot had ejected from the fighter jet.
An anchor on the channel urged local residents to hand over any “enemy pilot” to authorities and promised a reward, an unprecedented public appeal during the conflict.
Throughout the war, Iran has repeatedly claimed to have shot down piloted enemy aircraft, statements that U.S. officials later said were not true. Friday marked the first time Iranian media publicly called on civilians to help locate a downed U.S. pilot.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, mocked the United States after Iranian media claimed the country’s military downed a U.S. aircraft over southwestern Iran, forcing at least one crew member to eject.
In a post on X, Qalibaf derided the U.S. military campaign, writing that what he called a “no‑strategy war” had shifted from talk of regime change to a search for downed pilots. Iranian state media separately asserted that Iran’s air defenses shot down a U.S. F‑15E Strike Eagle. Qalibaf later followed up with another post ridiculing the United States, adding, “What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses.”
An Israeli official told AP that airstrikes have been paused in areas deemed relevant to the rescue effort for the F-15's crew.
Service Members Wounded in Iran War
At least 365 U.S. service members have been wounded in action during the war in Iran, according to Pentagon data available online as of Friday.
The figures show that 247 of the wounded were Army soldiers, 63 were Navy sailors, 19 were Marines and 36 were Air Force airmen. The Pentagon did not specify whether the data includes service members involved in the downing of two U.S. combat aircraft reported Friday.
Most of those wounded — 200 — were midlevel to senior enlisted troops. Another 85 were officers, while 80 were junior enlisted service members.
The Pentagon said the death toll remains unchanged, with 13 U.S. service members killed in combat since the war began.
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Iran War Death Toll
More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes, according to regional officials and independent conflict monitors. In a review released Friday, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project, a U.S.-based group, said its analysis found civilian casualties were largely concentrated around strikes on security and state‑linked facilities “rather than indiscriminate bombardment” of urban areas.
Beyond Iran, more than two dozen people have been killed in Gulf states and the occupied West Bank, while Israeli authorities report 19 deaths inside Israel and the Pentagon has said 13 U.S. service members have been killed in combat.
In Lebanon, where fighting has spread as part of the broader conflict, officials say more than 1,300 people have been killed and more than 1 million displaced. Israeli military officials have said 10 Israeli soldiers have also died there.
What is an F15 Fighter Jet?
The F‑15 Eagle is a twin‑engine, all‑weather fighter jet developed by McDonnell Douglas for the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War to achieve air superiority, first flying in 1972 and entering service in 1976 after lessons from the Vietnam War exposed shortcomings against Soviet‑built fighters. Now produced by Boeing, which absorbed McDonnell Douglas, the F‑15 is known for its speed, maneuverability and powerful radar and is regarded as one of the most successful fighters in history.
While originally designed for air‑to‑air combat, the aircraft later evolved into multiple variants, including the two‑seat F‑15E Strike Eagle, which added advanced ground‑attack capabilities, and is flown by U.S. pilots trained at bases such as Kingsley Field in Oregon and Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, as well as allied air forces including Israel, Japan and Saudi Arabia; the Air Force is now fielding the modernized F‑15EX to keep the platform in service as older fighters retire.
Updates: 4/3/26, 1:16 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
Updates: 4/3/26, 2:08 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
Updates: 4/3/26, 3:54 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
Updates: 4/3/26, 5:30 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
Updates: 4/3/26, 7:16 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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