US fighter jet shot down over Iran, search under way for crew

Tehran: A US fighter jet was brought down over Iran and a search-and-rescue effort was under way for any survivors, a US official told Reuters on Friday, marking the first known incident of its kind since Washington began its war with Iran on February 28.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide additional details about the aircraft or the fate of its crew.

The Pentagon and US Central Command did not respond to requests for comment.

The development has added a new dimension to the conflict, with the possibility that US pilots may be alive inside Iran during active hostilities significantly increasing the stakes for Washington.

Iranian officials urged civilians to remain alert for any survivors. According to the semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA, the governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province said anyone who captured or killed the crew

would be specially commended,

Iran’s Fars news agency also reported that

Military forces have launched a search operation to find the American fighter pilot who was hit earlier today,

indicating that Iranian authorities were actively pursuing the matter.

Fresh strikes reported across the region

The report of the downed aircraft came as new attacks were reported in Israel, Iran and Gulf countries. An AFP journalist said large explosions shook northern Tehran on Friday afternoon, though it was not immediately clear what had been struck.

Earlier, Israel’s military said Iran had launched another missile barrage, prompting the activation of Israeli air defence systems.

Strikes by all sides have increasingly focused on economic and industrial infrastructure, heightening concerns over broader disruption to global energy supplies and expanding the conflict’s effects beyond military targets.

Conflict enters another phase

The war began more than a month ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, followed by retaliatory attacks that spread the confrontation across the Middle East, disrupted the global economy and affected millions of people worldwide.

US President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the US military

hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!

His remarks came after the United States struck Iran’s tallest bridge.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that about 70% of Iran’s steel production capacity had been affected. Earlier this week, Iran’s two largest steel plants said they had been forced out of operation after several waves of US and Israeli air attacks.

The downing of the US fighter jet comes amid intensifying military exchanges and growing regional instability, as both sides continue to trade strikes while key infrastructure and industrial assets come under increasing pressure.