Two U.S. military jets were shot down in one day; Iranian media reports that the U.S. failed to rescue the pilots.

Two U.S. military jets were shot down in one day; Iranian media reports that the U.S. failed to rescue the pilots.

Within one day, the US military lost two fighter jets, rescue operations were obstructed, and ceasefire negotiations stalled—the nearly five-week-long Middle East war continues to escalate.

Local time on April 3, the US military lost two aircraft in succession in Iran and surrounding waters. According to CCTV News, an F-15E fighter jet was shot down inside Iran, while an A-10 attack aircraft crashed near the Strait of Hormuz. This is the first known instance of a US warplane crashing inside Iran since the joint US-Israeli military operation launched against Iran on February 28.

The US immediately initiated a search and rescue mission. According to CCTV News, US forces dispatched "Black Hawk" helicopters and C-130 transport planes into Iran to rescue, but one helicopter was attacked by Iran's air defense system and forced to withdraw, resulting in mission failure. Iranian media claim that the F-15E pilot parachuted to the ground inside Iran and "may" have been captured by Iranian forces.

Meanwhile, US-Iran ceasefire mediation has stalled. Iran refused to meet with the US in Islamabad, and responded to the American 48-hour ceasefire proposal with intensive battlefield strikes as their "on-the-ground response." Trump stated that the US fighter jet being shot down would not affect negotiations with Iran.

If the US pilot is captured, it could become a major turning point in this war. For example, in the 1993 "Black Hawk Down" incident in Somalia, two US helicopters were shot down and one pilot captured, directly prompting the US to terminate the operation and fully withdraw.

Iran releases footage of the moment the US A-10 was hit Video screenshot

F-15E shot down inside Iran: failed rescue, pilot missing, “possibly captured”

According to CCTV News, Iranian sources state that after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down an advanced US fighter earlier the same day, the pilot ejected and landed inside Iran. Some reports indicate that the pilot was “possibly” captured by Iranian military.

Iranian media released photos showing remnants of the pilot’s ejection seat near the crash site.

NR Jenzen-Jones, Director of Armament Research Services, a military technical intelligence consulting agency, said the debris in the photos "can identify the aircraft as a US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle," but current evidence is insufficient to confirm if it was shot down or crashed.

Iran located the crash site in the southwestern province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad. According to CCTV News, the provincial governor called on residents in remote areas to actively search for surviving pilots, stating, "Individuals or organizations who successfully capture or kill enemy personnel will receive special recognition from the provincial government." Iran's Tasnim News Agency also urged local residents to "carry weapons" while patrolling mountains and plains to counter possible US rescue teams. Also, it is reported that the US believes the pilot is still alive and has tried to rescue him from Iran.

According to Xinhua News Agency citing media reports, the US military deployed search and rescue aircraft and helicopters into Iran. One surviving pilot has been rescued and is receiving treatment, while the other is missing, and the rescue operation continues.

A-10 crash, Tehran suffers massive airstrikes

According to CCTV News, on the 3rd local time, two US officials confirmed that an A-10 attack aircraft crashed near the Strait of Hormuz, with only one pilot aboard, who has been rescued.

Iran's military public relations office reported later that Iran's national integrated air defense network tracked and monitored, successfully shooting down the jet, claiming it belonged to "hostile invading forces."

On the same day, Tehran was subjected to massive airstrikes. The US and Israel carried out air raids on multiple locations in Iran, targeting the capital Tehran’s Shahid Beheshti University and Mehrabad Airport. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that they launched the 93rd wave of attacks in the massive operation codenamed "Real Promise-4" that day.

Turning point moment? US pilots captured in history: From Somalia to Afghanistan

Caught US pilots are not unprecedented. Historically, US personnel being captured often deeply impacts the course of the conflict, and sometimes directly changes the outcome of the entire military operation.

According to the UK Financial Times, the 1993 Somalia incident is one of the most representative cases. That year, two US "Black Hawk" helicopters were shot down in Mogadishu and one pilot captured. This incident actually marked the end of months of US military action, and ultimately led to a complete US pullout from Somalia.

Another well-known case occurred in Afghanistan. In 2009, US soldier Bowe Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban after leaving his post. The US then conducted major search operations. Five years later, the Obama administration exchanged five senior Taliban prisoners to secure Bergdahl’s return.

Analysis in the report pointed out that any Iranian capture of US personnel would become a “critical turning point” in this war and give Iran “possible key leverage.”

In addition, the report cited another incident from the current conflict: On March 19, Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed to have hit a US F-35 fighter jet flying over central Iran with their air defense system, damaging the jet. The US military later said the aircraft made an emergency landing at an undisclosed location after a mission over Iran.

CCTV News video screenshot

Iranian Speaker Mocks US Jet Downing

According to Xinhua News Agency, Iranian Islamic Parliament Speaker Kalibaf posted on social media on the 3rd, mocking the US fighter jet being shot down by Iran.

Kalibaf said, after the enemy claimed “to have defeated Iran 37 times in a row,” the war launched by the US and Israel, “which thinks itself clever but has no strategy,” has now degenerated from plotting ‘regime change’ to ‘Hey! Who can find our pilot?’"

According to CCTV News, the US submitted a proposal for a 48-hour temporary ceasefire to Iran through a friendly nation on April 1. Iran assessed that the US misjudged Iran’s military strength, causing the escalation and leaving US forces in severe difficulties in the region, hence the proposal. Iran did not respond in writing, but instead "responded on the ground with continued heavy firepower strikes," and officially informed the mediator that it did not want to meet US officials in Islamabad, clearly stating the US ceasefire request is "unacceptable."

According to Xinhua News Agency, Trump said in a telephone interview with NBC on the 3rd that the downing of the US warplane "would not affect negotiations with Iran." The White House also said that Trump had been briefed on the F-15E crash, and search and rescue operations were ongoing.

However, Trump recently sent mixed signals: on one hand declaring the US has "completely defeated Iran," on the other hand threatening to "strike every Iranian power plant" if an agreement isn't reached in two or three weeks. The Iranian leadership meanwhile states there is currently no negotiation to end the conflict.

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