In a significant setback for US forces, two advanced American warplanes were reportedly shot down by Iran on Friday, with one crew member still missing. This is the first reported loss of US aircraft over Iranian territory since the conflict began a month ago, heightening concerns of a broader escalation.
While US President Donald Trump adopted a more cautious tone, unlike his previous statements, Tehran mocked Washington’s handling of the situation.
In a post on social media, Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, took a sarcastic swipe at the United States, saying Washington had downgraded its war objectives from pursuing regime change in Iran to conducting search-and-rescue operations.
"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?'," he wrote.
“Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses,” he added.
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Notably, the US lost its aircraft just two days after Trump said in a national address that the US has "beaten and completely decimated Iran" and was "going to finish the job, and we're going to finish it very fast."
The downed aircraft reportedly included a two-seat U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle and an A-10 Warthog. Two pilots have been rescued, while a third crew member remains missing, with search-and-rescue operations ongoing.
Neither the White House nor the Pentagon has released detailed public information about the incident. However, according to an Associated Press report, the Pentagon informed the House Armed Services Committee that the status of a second service member from the fighter jet remains unknown.
Videos circulating on social media dhowed US drones, aircraft, and helicopters operating over a mountainous region where Iranian media earlier claimed at least one pilot had ejected.
According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, the second aircraft was downed near the Strait of Hormuz.
