IRANIAN and US forces on Saturday searched for a crew member of a US fighter jet that crashed inside Iran, the first such incident since the start of the war.
Tehran said it shot down the F-15 warplane. US media reported that one of the two crew members had been rescued by US special forces, while the other remained missing.
Iran’s military also said it downed a US A-10 ground attack aircraft in the Gulf. US media said the pilot was rescued.
The conflict began more than a month ago after US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Iran responded with attacks that spread across the West Asia, affecting the global economy and people in multiple countries.
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US Central Command did not respond to a request for comment on the F-15. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “The president has been briefed.”
US President Donald Trump told NBC the loss would not affect talks with Iran, saying: “No, not at all. No, it’s war.”
A spokesperson for Iran’s military central operational command said, “An American hostile fighter jet in central Iranian airspace was struck and destroyed by the IRGC Aerospace Force’s advanced air defence system”.
“The jet was completely obliterated, and further searches are ongoing.”
An Iranian television reporter said anyone who captured a crew member alive would “receive a valuable reward”.
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The US military has reported losses of several aircraft during operations involving Iran, including a tanker crash in Iraq and three F-15s shot down by Kuwaiti friendly fire.
Retired US brigadier general Houston Cantwell said pilots are trained to avoid capture.
“My priority would be, first of all, concealment, because I don’t want to be captured,” he told AFP.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf criticised the Trump administration on X, writing: “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?’
“Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses.”
Fresh strikes were reported across Iran, Israel and Lebanon.
Several blasts were heard in northern Tehran, according to an AFP journalist.
In an area west of Tehran targeted by the United States, an AFP reporter saw damaged residential buildings but no military installations.
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Iran’s martyrs foundation in Alborz province, cited by IRNA, said the attack killed 13 civilians and wounded dozens.
In the journal Foreign Affairs, Iran’s former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote that Tehran should reach a deal with Washington by limiting its nuclear programme and reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief.
Iran has largely blocked the waterway since the war began. About one-fifth of global oil and gas normally passes through it.
Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari said Iran would increase attacks on energy sites in response to US threats against infrastructure.
A drone strike on a refinery owned by Kuwait’s national oil company caused fires on Friday. Another Iranian attack damaged a power and desalination complex.
Dubai’s media office said authorities responded to “a minor incident caused by debris from an aerial interception” that hit a building near the marina area. No injuries were reported.
In Israel, the military said air defences intercepted missiles fired from Iran. Medics said one person was wounded.
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Magen David Adom said a 45-year-old man was treated for minor injuries from glass shrapnel in Bnei Brak and taken to hospital.
In Syria, state media said Israeli fire killed a man in Quneitra province near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. SANA said he was killed in an attack by “an Israeli tank”, while state television said a car was targeted.
In the United Arab Emirates, an Egyptian national was killed and four others were wounded in a fire at a gas complex in Abu Dhabi caused by falling debris from an intercepted attack.
In Lebanon, the Israeli military said it had struck more than 3,500 targets over the past month in fighting with Hezbollah.
It said it would hit two bridges in the Bekaa region to prevent movement of fighters and equipment. Lebanese state media said one bridge was destroyed and another was hit.
The Israeli military said it had begun striking “Hezbollah infrastructure” in Beirut.
An AFP journalist heard two explosions in the city within half an hour early Saturday and saw smoke rising.
Lebanon’s health ministry said 1,345 people have been killed and 4,040 wounded since the start of the war.
The United Nations force in Lebanon said a blast at one of its positions wounded three peacekeepers, two of them seriously.
The US embassy in Lebanon said Iran and allied groups could target universities, including the American University of Beirut.
Trump has asked lawmakers to approve a $1.5 trillion defence budget for 2027, which would increase Pentagon spending by more than 40 per cent.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an immediate ceasefire, the Kremlin said.
“It was noted that intense military action is leading to serious negative consequences not only regionally but also globally, including in the areas of energy, trade, and logistics,” it said.
Maritime data showed three tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz close to Oman’s shore, an uncommon route as Iran maintains control over the waterway.
(With inputs from agencies)
