U.S. fighter jet went down over Iran, search and rescue mission underway, officials say

BREAKING NEWSApr. 3, 2026, 3:10 PM UTCIran warIran warU.S. fighter jet went down over Iran, search and rescue mission underway, officials sayIt was not clear how the two-seater jet went down.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Courtney Kube, Mosheh Gains, Patrick Smith and Matthew MulliganA search was underway Friday after a two-seater F-15 fighter jet went down over Iran, according to two U.S. officials.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The rescue mission follows hours of reporting by Iranian state media of a downed U.S. fighter jet. Iran's media published photos alongside claims from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that it had shot down the aircraft.The fate of those inside the jet was not immediately clear. But one official in Iran’s southwest issued a public plea for locals to find them and promised a reward, according to official and semi-official Iranian news organizations.The incident is the latest dramatic development in the war, now more than a month old. President Donald Trump has declared success and pressured Iran to agree to a deal to end the conflict, while massing new troops in the Middle East and threatening intense escalation if Tehran doesn't reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz trade route. It will also add to doubts over American-Israeli claims of dominance over Iranian skies. The joint campaign has focused intensely on destroying and degrading Iran's missile defenses, but Tehran has retained the capability to hit back across the region.Iran has claimed previously to have struck American planes, but the U.S. has not confirmed any such incidents during the war. Debris from what the IRGC claims to be a second U.S. F-35 fighter jet destroyed over central Iran, shared via Telegram on Friday.via TelegramU.S. Central Command said an F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing March 19, but stopped short of confirming this...