Dubai, Apr 3 (AP) One crew member was rescued Friday after an American aircraft was shot down in Iran, according to a US and an Israeli official, who both spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive ongoing military operations.
The rescue occurred as the US military was conducting a search and rescue operation, according to three people familiar who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitivity of the situation. Israel is helping the United States with the operation.
According to an email from the Pentagon obtained by The Associated Press, the US military said that it received notification of “an aircraft being shot down” in the Middle East. The email did not provide more details.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a previous statement that President Donald Trump had been briefed but did not offer any additional information.
The number of crew on board wasn't immediately known.
The war now entering its sixth week is destabilizing economies around the world as Iran responds to the US and Israeli attacks by targeting the Gulf region's energy infrastructure and tightening its grip on oil and natural gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump said U.S. forces will keep hitting Iran “very hard” in the next two or three weeks.
Here is the latest:
Israel reports new missile launch from Iran
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The Israeli army says air defences are being activated and residents instructed to seek shelter in affected areas.
F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet has a 2-person crew
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Iranian state media has claimed that Iran's military shot down a US F-15E Strike Eagle. The aircraft is a variation of the Air Force fighter jet that carries a two-person crew consisting of a pilot and weapons system officer.
Alan Diehl, a former investigator for the Air Force Safety Centre, said the Strike Eagle has an emergency locator beacon in a survival kit that can be set to activate automatically or manually.
The Pentagon has not immediately responded to repeated requests for comment
Israel suspends airstrikes as search for downed US pilot proceeds
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An Israeli official says airstrikes have been halted in areas “relevant” to the rescue effort.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the operation is ongoing.
Tehran resident describes projectile overhead and smoke near medical research centre
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A resident of central Tehran says she was walking home Thursday when she spotted what appeared to be a missile streaking overhead.
“I saw it go over my head and I heard the explosion,” she said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to media restrictions in Iran.
Then she saw smoke rising from a nearby area of the capital hosting many government buildings, including the offices of Iran's Supreme Leader, which Israel heavily struck early in the war. Next to that is the Pasteur Institute, which has played a leading role in Iran's health sector for over a century. An Iranian health ministry spokesman confirmed the institute had been struck on Thursday.
The resident said she's also seen least two police stations “destroyed” in her area of the capital.
An explosion in southern Lebanon injures three UN peacekeepers amid fighting between Israel and Hezbollah
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The peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL reminded Israel, Hezbollah and other actors of their obligation to ensure the peacekeepers' safety, including by avoiding combat near their facilities and positions.
“This has been a difficult week for peacekeepers working near the central part of UNIFIL's area of operations,” UNIFIL said.
Three UN peacekeepers were injured, two seriously, in an explosion of unknown origin inside their position in El Adeisse on Friday afternoon, UNIFIL said. Three UNIFIL peacekeepers from Indonesia were killed earlier this week and others were injured.
Aircraft was shot down,' US military says
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According to an email from the Pentagon obtained by The Associated Press, the US military said that it received notification of “an aircraft being shot down” in the Middle East. The email did not provide more details.
Iran accuses the UN nuclear watchdog of siding with its enemies
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The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran denounced on Friday what it describes as the UN nuclear agency's “silence” as the US and Israel attacks Iran's nuclear facilities.
The Iranian agency accused the International Atomic Energy Agency of “not merely inaction but complicity with perpetrators,” according to a statement posted on X. It said it has sent a protest letter to the IAEA's director. “This historic negligence erodes the IAEA's little remaining credibility,” read the statement.
The Iranian government has constantly said that it needs to expand its nuclear plants to meet its electricity needs rather than to build weapons.
Jordan and Israel warn of more air attacks
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The Israeli military says air defences are being activated to intercept the fire.
Jordan, the state-owned news agency says alarms are sounding across the country.
US officials are being informed about the rescue operation in Iran
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US House Speaker Mike Johnson has been notified about the situation with the pilot in Iran, his office said.
The Defense Department has notified the speaker and said it would provide further updates.
The US military has been conducting a search and rescue operation in Iran, according to three people familiar who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitivity of the situation.
Four US planes had already gone down during the Iranian war
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Four US military planes had gone down during the Iran war before Friday's search and rescue operation — three fighter jets hit by friendly fire over Kuwait and a refueling tanker plane that crashed in Iraq following an incident with another US aircraft.
The KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq while supporting operations in Iran. All six crew members aboard the aircraft died. U.S. officials attributed the crash to an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in “friendly airspace,” and said the other plane landed safely.
Separately, three U.S. F-15E fighter jets were mistakenly targeted by friendly Kuwaiti fire. All six crew members ejected safely. (AP)
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