UPDATE: According ot the latest reports from Iranian state media, five US fighter jets and helicopters were shot down in a single day.
Key Developments
- Iran targets US A-10 near Strait of Hormuz as additional aircraft losses reported.
- Rescue mission involving Black Hawks and C-130 fails under Iranian fire.
- Wave 93 strikes hit Haifa, Galilee and US-linked targets across the region.
US Aircraft Losses and Downing over Iran
Iranian forces on Friday reported targeting a US A-10 attack aircraft in southern waters near the Strait of Hormuz, as multiple incidents involving American aircraft unfolded across the region.
The New York Times reported that a second US Air Force aircraft had crashed in the Gulf, with US officials confirming that one of the two pilots had been rescued while search efforts continue for the other.
According to the report, the A-10 Warthog went down near the Strait of Hormuz around the same time that another US aircraft was shot down over Iran.
Iranian authorities said their air defenses had destroyed a US fighter jet over central Iran, describing it as a complete loss. Iranian sources indicated that the aircraft was brought down during ongoing hostilities, with search operations still underway at the crash site.
Reports cited by Al Mayadeen in earlier coverage noted uncertainty over the aircraft type involved in the downing over Iran, with Iranian sources describing it as an F-35, while other accounts pointed to an F-15. The US has not clarified the exact type.
⚡️🚨 Iranian reports say police units opened fire on two American aircraft involved in search operations for the crew of a US F-15 jet downed over Iran, as tensions escalate around ongoing rescue efforts.
🔹 The incident comes amid an active US search-and-rescue mission after… pic.twitter.com/c8U3AOOa8I
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 3, 2026
Rescue Operation Fails, Helicopter Hit
Following the downing, the US military launched a search-and-rescue mission involving Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 Hercules aircraft, according to Tasnim News Agency. The operation failed.
Tasnim reported that US forces were unable to recover the pilots after Iranian air defenses engaged the rescue units, forcing them to withdraw. CBS News also reported that one of the rescue helicopters was struck, resulting in injuries among its crew.
Iranian sources said the rescue effort was ultimately thwarted, leaving at least one pilot unaccounted for inside Iranian territory.
Wave 93 Expands Strikes Across Region
The escalation comes as Iran launched the 93rd wave of Operation True Promise 4, targeting Israeli military positions and US-linked assets across multiple fronts.
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said the strikes focused on troop assembly areas and military-industrial sites in western Tel Aviv, Haifa, Kafr Kanna and the Krayot, describing them as “precise strikes.”
The statement also said Iranian forces targeted US positions in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, as part of a broader response to attacks on Iranian territory.
In parallel, Iranian officials claimed the destruction of American radar systems and naval equipment in the Gulf region using ballistic missiles and drones.
How Did Iran Shoot Down a US Fighter Jet? Inside Iran’s Air Defense Network
‘Direct Complicity’
In a separate development, Iran’s Foreign Ministry suggested that regional actors may be directly involved in the US-Israeli military campaign.
Tasnim reported that spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei pointed to the downing of a drone over Shiraz as potential evidence of “direct participation and active complicity” by two unnamed regional states.
He called on those countries to clarify their role, warning that the incident could reflect a broader regional alignment in the ongoing war.
As the confrontation enters a more dangerous phase, the combination of aircraft losses, failed rescue operations and expanding strike zones underscores a deepening and increasingly complex regional war.
(Tasnim, New York Times, CBS News, Al Mayadeen)
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