Iranian media have reported that a U.S. fighter jet crashed inside Iran, leaving two American pilots missing. The incident occurred in the western region of the country, and Iranian authorities have announced a reward for anyone who can locate the missing pilots. According to the reports, the pilots ejected and landed in separate areas, prompting U.S. rescue operations.

Iranian sources claim that clashes took place between U.S. forces and Iranian ground troops during the attempted rescue, resulting in American casualties. State television in Iran has called on citizens to assist in finding the pilots and announced a reward of 10 billion tomans, approximately 64,000 U.S. dollars.

If Iran succeeds in capturing the missing pilots, it could mark a significant turning point in the ongoing conflict, as it would be the first instance of U.S. prisoners of war in the confrontation.

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.

Former Human Rights Watch chief Kenneth Roth has warned that any US attack on Iran’s civilian infrastructure, particularly power plants or water desalination facilities, would amount to a war crime. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Roth said that if former US President Donald Trump carried out his threats to strike such sites, it would clearly violate international humanitarian law.

Roth, now a visiting professor at Princeton University, explained that such attacks would lack legitimate military justification and cause disproportionate harm to civilians. He cited the International Criminal Court’s previous actions against Russian commanders for similar strikes in Ukraine as precedent.

Roth further noted that more than 100 international law experts share this assessment, emphasizing that any such move would undoubtedly be treated as a war crime under international standards.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has described U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to send Iran “back to the Stone Age” as an indication of possible large-scale war crimes. According to Al Jazeera, Pezeshkian said such statements reveal an intent to cause massive destruction, which could be considered a serious violation of international law.

Referring to his discussion with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Pezeshkian noted that he had raised the issue with his Finnish counterpart, who is a legal expert. He added that history contains many examples where silence in the face of crimes has come at a great cost.

The remarks come amid heightened tensions following reports of a U.S. acknowledgment of an Iranian warplane being shot down and warnings that any attack on Iran’s power facilities would constitute a war crime.

Iran has claimed that a United States rescue mission to recover the pilot of a downed American fighter jet has so far failed. According to Iranian media, the country’s air defense system shot down the US aircraft, and images of the wreckage were published by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. The report added that the pilot’s condition remains unclear.

Tasnim stated that the US operation involved Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 Hercules aircraft, but the effort did not succeed. The United States has not issued any official comment on the incident. Al Jazeera reported that the authenticity of Iran’s claims could not be independently verified.

The report also recalled that in March, a US F-35 fighter jet was damaged by an Iranian attack and forced to make an emergency landing, highlighting continuing military friction between the two nations.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency has claimed that the country’s air defense system shot down a US warplane in central Iran. The agency published several photos allegedly showing the wreckage of the aircraft. According to the report, markings on the downed plane suggest it belonged to the United States European Command.

Earlier speculation that the aircraft might be an F-35 was not repeated in Tasnim’s latest report. The agency stated that the plane was part of the 48th Squadron based at the US European Command’s Lakenheath Air Base in the United Kingdom, which it claimed had been deployed to the CENTCOM region for operations against Iran. The report also noted that the US European Command operates several advanced fighter jets, including F-35, F-15, F-22, and F-16 models.

As of the time of reporting, US officials had not issued any formal comment regarding the alleged incident.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has accused Israel of carrying out an attack on a power plant and associated desalination facility in Kuwait. In a statement released by its public relations office, the IRGC condemned the incident as an abnormal and illegal assault on civilian infrastructure. The statement described the attack as evidence of what it called the moral decline of the Zionist regime and denounced it as inhumane.

The IRGC further warned that U.S. military bases and personnel across the Middle East, as well as Israeli military and security installations in the occupied Palestinian territories, could become potential targets. The statement framed the attack as part of a broader pattern of aggression against civilian facilities in the region.

The report did not include any response from Israel or Kuwaiti authorities, leaving the details of the incident and its immediate consequences unclear.

Iran has issued a stern warning that it will target US-linked installations across the Middle East if attacks by the United States and Israel intensify. According to Al Jazeera, Ibrahim Zulfaqari, spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, stated that any strike on Iranian infrastructure would prompt Tehran to destroy all American assets and facilities in the region.

Zulfaqari said the warning was in response to continued threats from US President Donald Trump, who had mentioned plans to destroy Iran’s bridges, power plants, and energy infrastructure. He added that if such threats were carried out, Iran’s armed forces would target US and Israeli energy, economic, and infrastructure sites throughout the Middle East, including in allied countries hosting American military bases.

He further cautioned those countries to expel US forces if they wished to avoid damage. The warning followed Trump’s recent claim that US forces had destroyed one of Iran’s largest bridges, sharing images of a collapsed suspension bridge between Tehran and Karaj on social media.

A recent US intelligence assessment found that Iran has managed to keep about half of its missile launchers intact despite weeks of attacks by the United States and Israel, according to sources cited by CNN. The report also indicated that Tehran still possesses thousands of one-way attack drones, with roughly 50 percent of its drone capability remaining operational.

The assessment contrasts with recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, who claimed that Iran’s missile and drone capabilities had been largely destroyed, leaving only a few launchers and factories intact. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated last month that ballistic missile attacks on US forces had dropped by 90 percent since the conflict began, and the use of one-way or “kamikaze” drones had also decreased by a similar margin.

The differing assessments highlight uncertainty over the true extent of Iran’s remaining strike capacity following sustained US and Israeli operations.

Concerns have grown after reports that recent US-Israel attacks in Iran targeted civilian infrastructure, including universities and heritage landmarks. According to the report, US President Donald Trump suggested on Truth Social that further large-scale strikes could follow, mentioning bridges and power plants as potential targets. The statement has intensified fears of escalating destruction of Iran’s remaining infrastructure.

Under international law, attacks on hospitals, educational institutions, religious sites, and other civilian facilities constitute clear violations of the Geneva Conventions. Since the joint US-Israel military campaign began on February 28, several key civilian sites have reportedly been struck, raising questions about compliance with humanitarian norms.

Observers warn that such actions not only deepen the humanitarian crisis but also represent serious breaches of international law. The situation has heightened regional tensions, with Iran warning of retaliation if attacks continue.

Former Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif has said that Tehran should declare victory and end the ongoing war. In an article published in the U.S.-based journal Foreign Affairs, Zarif called on Iran to pursue an agreement that would both conclude the current conflict and prevent future hostilities.

Zarif, who previously led Iran’s negotiations with the United States and other countries over its nuclear program, outlined a framework for ending the war under favorable terms for Tehran. His proposal includes lifting all sanctions in exchange for Iran limiting its nuclear activities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. He also suggested that Iran and the United States commit to refraining from attacking each other in the future and explore economic cooperation beneficial to both nations.

According to Zarif, such an agreement could represent a pragmatic path toward stability and mutual benefit, potentially marking a shift in Washington’s willingness to engage under new conditions.

Iran has claimed that around seven million civilians are prepared to fight against any potential US ground invasion. The announcement was made on April 2 by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf through a post on social media platform X. He stated that these civilians have undergone training to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ghalibaf, considered an influential figure in potential US-Iran discussions, said the mobilization reflects a strong national movement across the country.

The claim comes amid ongoing discussions in Iran about national defense readiness. Ghalibaf is the first senior official to publicly mention this figure, though no specific source for the number was provided. Analysts cited in the report said Iran has called for volunteer participation in anticipation of possible conflict with the United States and Israel, including appeals to retired soldiers. Reports also indicate that younger recruits are joining the Basij, the volunteer wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, signaling increased military preparedness.

A spokesperson for Iran’s military warned that any aggression would be met with a response, asserting that the US and Israel lack full knowledge of Iran’s military capabilities.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for shooting down another US F-35 fighter jet. According to a Telegram post by the IRGC-controlled Fars News Agency, the aircraft was flying over Iranian territory when it was targeted and destroyed. The IRGC stated that the jet was completely destroyed and crashed, with no information available about the pilot.

Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported that a powerful explosion occurred when the aircraft went down, suggesting that the pilot may not have been able to eject. The report did not provide further details about the location or timing of the incident. The US Central Command has not issued any immediate response to Iran’s claim.

The claim, reported by Al Jazeera and Iranian media outlets, adds to ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States, though independent verification of the incident has not yet been provided.

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened additional attacks on Iran’s critical infrastructure, according to a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Thursday. He stated that the U.S. military, which he described as the world’s strongest, has not yet begun destroying what remains in Iran. Trump added that bridges and power plants could be next targets, urging Iran’s leadership to act quickly.

The post came a day after Trump’s national address about “Operation Epic Fury,” which began on February 28. In that address, he warned that the United States would deliver severe blows to Iran within the next two to three weeks, saying the country would be pushed back to the “stone age.” The remarks were reported by Anadolu Agency.

The statements mark an escalation in rhetoric following the launch of Operation Epic Fury, signaling potential intensification of U.S. military actions against Iran’s infrastructure in the coming weeks.

A recent US intelligence assessment indicates that nearly half of Iran’s missile launchers remain intact despite more than a month of extensive US and Israeli airstrikes. The report, cited by three sources speaking to CNN, also states that Iran still possesses thousands of drones, representing about half of its drone capability. Some launchers may be buried under debris from attacks but are not fully destroyed, leaving them potentially operational.

According to the intelligence findings, a significant portion of Iran’s coastal defense cruise missiles also remains undamaged, as the United States has conducted limited airstrikes along Iran’s coastline. These missiles could pose a serious threat to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. One source told CNN that Iran retains the capacity to inflict widespread destruction across the region.

The intelligence assessment contrasts with President Trump’s claim of victory in the Iran conflict, suggesting that Iran’s military capabilities remain far from neutralized.