A US official has confirmed that an American warplane was shot down in Iranian airspace, according to reports from Axios, Reuters, and The New York Times, as cited by BBC on April 3, 2026. The official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, stated that rescue operations are ongoing to locate the aircraft’s crew. The Wall Street Journal also reported that the United States is conducting an active mission to recover the crew members.

Earlier, Iranian media claimed that a US warplane had been downed and that the United States was attempting to rescue the pilot. Iran has since asserted that the American rescue attempt to recover the pilot has failed. The incident has drawn attention from multiple international outlets, highlighting rising tensions surrounding the event.

Rescue efforts continue as both sides maintain differing accounts of the situation, and no further details about the aircraft type or the number of crew members have been disclosed.