Iran war enters its 6th week as military searches for downed jet crew member

Iran war enters its 6th week as military searches for downed jet crew member April 4, 20266:48 AM ET By  NPR Staff People view the damaged B1 bridge, a day after it was destroyed by an airstrike, on April 3, 2026 west of Tehran in Karaj, Iran. Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Europe hide caption toggle caption Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Europe The war in Iran entered its 6th week on Saturday, as the search continues for the missing U.S. service member who bailed out of a U.S. F15-E fighter jet, shot down by Iranian fire on Friday. Middle East conflict Evacuation of U.S. troops from Mideast base sends community groups scrambling to help A second U.S. Air Force combat plane was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, according to a U.S. official, capping off another week of intensified fighting in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Meanwhile, on Saturday, U.S. and Israeli warplanes continued to pound Iran hitting several targets, including Mahshahr Special Petrochemical Zone, a major oil industry hub in southwestern Iran, according to Iranian media. An airstrike near Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility was reported by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. In a X post, the organization said a security guard was killed in the attack, which also damaged a support building. Sponsor Message The Israeli military said it had also conducted overnight airstrikes in Tehran, targeting ballistic and anti-aircraft missile storage facilities. And in Dubai, authorities said that falling debris from intercepted drones damaged the facade of two buildings, including one belonging to U.S. tech firm Oracle. Iran also hit a water desalination plant and an oil refinery in Kuwait. Middle East conflict Hegseth ousts the Army chief of staff as the Iran war rages through Week 5 This, as dozens of countries — not including the U.S. or Israel — have launched efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which 20% of the world's oil supply passes, and that has been largely b...