Iranian air defense systems have shot down a United States fighter jet, according to reports from Iranian state media. The Fars news agency stated on Friday that Iranian military forces are conducting a search operation to locate the crew of the aircraft hit over southwestern Iran. This marks the first such reported incident in the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran that began on February 28.
The Reuters news agency cited two US officials confirming that a fighter jet was downed over Iran and that a search and rescue operation for survivors is underway. There was no immediate comment from the Pentagon or US Central Command regarding the incident. Local Iranian television broadcast footage described as the wreckage of the downed US jet.
Iranian authorities have called on civilians to be vigilant for any survivors. According to the semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA, the governor of Iran’s Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province announced that whoever captures the crew "would be specially commended." This report emerged as new strikes targeted Israel, Iran, and Gulf countries, with large explosions heard in northern Tehran on Friday afternoon, though it remains unclear what was hit.
Earlier, Israel’s military reported a new missile salvo from Iran. Strikes by all sides are increasingly focusing on economic and industrial sites, raising significant concerns about broader disruptions to global energy supplies. The latest developments follow a statement by US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform, where he allegedly claimed the US military "hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!" after US forces struck Iran’s tallest bridge.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that about 70 percent of Iran’s steel production capacity has been destroyed in recent days. This comes after Iran’s two largest steel plants reported earlier this week that they were forced out of operation due to several waves of US and Israeli air attacks, highlighting the severe economic toll of the escalating hostilities.
Source: www.aljazeera.com