Iran says it downed US fighter jet, search underway for American pilot

## Summary
Advertisement World Iran says it downed US fighter jet, search underway for American pilot The incident is the first reported case of a US fighter jet being downed in Iranian territory since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran on Feb 28. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST WASHINGTON: Iran's Fars news agency said on Friday (Apr 3) the country's army had launched a search for the pilot of a US fighter jet hit by an air defence system. "Military forces have launched a search operation to find the American fighter pilot who was hit earlier today," Fars said. The incident is the first reported case of a US fighter jet being downed in Iranian territory since Washington and Israel launched their war against Tehran on Feb 28. The Wall Street Journal and Axios reported that a search-and-rescue operation was underway by US forces, following what would be the first known loss of a jet inside Iran since President Donald Trump ordered the war.

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Iran says it downed US fighter jet, search underway for American pilot
The incident is the first reported case of a US fighter jet being downed in Iranian territory since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran on Feb 28.
A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft takes off for a mission supporting Operation Epic Fury during the Iran war at an undisclosed location, Mar 9, 2026. (Photo: US Air Force/Handout via REUTERS)
03 Apr 2026 10:15PM
(Updated: 03 Apr 2026 11:37PM)
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WASHINGTON:
Iran's Fars news agency said on Friday (Apr 3) the country's army had launched a search for the pilot of a US fighter jet hit by an air defence system.
"Military forces have launched a search operation to find the American fighter pilot who was hit earlier today," Fars said.
The incident is the first reported case of a US fighter jet being downed in Iranian territory since Washington and Israel launched their
war against Tehran
on Feb 28.
A local TV station aired footage of what it said was the wreckage of a downed US jet.
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It said the aircraft was targeted over central Iran and may have gone down in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, citing a police statement.
The statement urged residents of the area to join the hunt for the pilot or pilots, offering a bounty for the capture of any US servicemen.
The governor of Iran’s Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province said whoever captured or killed the crew “would be specially commended”, according to the semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA.
A US official told Reuters on Friday that a US fighter jet was shot down over
Iran,
and a search and rescue operation was underway for any survivors.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not offer further details. The Pentagon and US Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for military operations in the Middle East, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Major US media outlets also reported the incident, with the New York Times quoting US and Israeli officials as confirming that Iran had shot down a fighter jet.
The Wall Street Journal and Axios reported that a search-and-rescue operation was underway by US forces, following what would be the first known loss of a jet inside Iran since President Donald Trump ordered the war.
So far, 13 US military service members have been killed in the conflict and more than 300 have been wounded, according to CENTCOM.
Related:
Commentary: Still no sign of an off-ramp for US in Iran war
Commentary: Overconfidence is how wars are lost – a lesson the US has ignored
Commentary: The Iran war is now all about the future of Hormuz
Source: Agencies/fh
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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
- CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less It said the aircraft was targeted over central Iran and may have gone down in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, citing a police statement.

### Implications
- CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less It said the aircraft was targeted over central Iran and may have gone down in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, citing a police statement.
- Related: Commentary: Still no sign of an off-ramp for US in Iran war Commentary: Overconfidence is how wars are lost – a lesson the US has ignored Commentary: The Iran war is now all about the future of Hormuz Source: Agencies/fh Sign up for our newsletters Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox Subscribe here Get the CNA app Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories Download here Get WhatsApp alerts Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app Join here Advertisement Also worth reading Content is loading...

### Expert Commentary
This article covers iran, jet, fighter topics. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 662.