- US rescue operation and Iranian forces both search for missing crew member from downed F-15E jet
- Second US aircraft helping with search and rescue shot down in the region
- Israeli military says its struck Iran’s missile storage sites in Tehran
- UAE reports damage to buildings in Dubai after intercepting Iranian drones
- US President Donald Trump says “evil and wickedness will not prevail” in Easter message
US and Iranian forces are both racing to find a missing American crew member from a downed fighter jet in Iran, as the conflict enters its sixth week.
The F-15E Strike Eagle was struck down over southwest Iran, and one of its two crew members was found on Friday by the US search and rescue operation, officials said.
Iranian state media said the jet was hit by Iran’s air defence system and urged citizens to try and “capture” the second crew member alive, with a large reward promised for those who succeed.
Ground-force rangers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been conducting a large-scale search operation in the area, and pictures purporting to be wreckage of the jet have been shared widely online.
A second US aircraft, mobilised to help with the search and rescue mission, was also struck in the region on Friday.
President Donald Trump declined to discuss the ongoing search and rescue mission on Friday, but told NBC News the incident would not affect negotiations with Iran.
“No, not at all. No, it’s war. We’re in war,” Trump said in a brief phone interview.
The president later said “evil and wickedness will not prevail” in a video message shared on Truth Social for Easter.
So far 13 US service members have died in conflict, while 3,527 people have died in Iran according to US-based rights group Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
Lebanese authorities say 1,368 people have been killed and 19 people have died in Israel.
More than 360 US service members have been wounded in action in Iran war, with 247 of them being Army soldiers.
Two US aircrafts downed over Iran
The US F15-E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down by Iran on Friday, with one service member – reported to be the pilot – already rescued, according to US officials.
The second crew member, a weapons systems officer, remains missing with a large-scale search and rescue operation in place.
A US A-10 aircraft mobilised to help find the downed crew member was also struck by Iran on Friday, forcing the pilot to eject, an official familiar with the incident told CNN. They have since been rescued.
Iranian state media claimed the aircraft was hit by Iranian air defenses, citing Iran’s Army public relations office.
The pilot of the A-10, a single-seat aircraft also known by the nickname Warthog, able to fly out of Iranian territory before ejecting, the official said.
Israel is assisting the US search operation with intelligence, but is not active in any on-the-ground rescue.
The last time a US fighter jet was shot down by enemy fire in combat was during the 2003 invasion of Iraq – more than two decades ago.
American forces have flown more than 13,000 missions in the Iran war while striking more than 12,300 targets, according to US Central Command.
Iranians offered reward for finding US crew member
IRGC forces are also hunting for the US crew member and citizens are being urged to join the search, according to official and semi-official Iranian state media.
A reward equivalent to $60,000 (about £45,000) is on offer to those who are successful, some state news organisations have said.
The speaker of Iran’s parliament took to X to mock the US on Friday, sarcastically praising the nation’s “incredible progress” in the war.
“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?'” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said.
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