A US fighter jet went down in Iran on Friday, with one crew member rescued after the aircraft crashed, according to US and Israeli officials and AP sources. The incident comes one day after US airstrikes on Thursday struck a bridge in Karaj, west of Tehran, while an Iranian missile hit a site in Petah Tikva that was later inspected by Israeli security forces and rescue teams.
Sovereignty and Airspace
The downing of the US fighter jet in Iran places a foreign military aircraft inside Iranian territory at the center of the latest escalation. The base account says the aircraft went down in Iran on Friday, April 03, 2026, and that a search-and-rescue operation was underway for the crew. One crew member was rescued after the aircraft went down, according to US and Israeli officials and AP sources.
The same reporting places the incident alongside US airstrikes carried out on Thursday, April 02, 2026. Those strikes hit a bridge in Karaj, west of Tehran, Iran. The sequence of events shows military action crossing borders in both directions, with strikes, missile fire, and an aircraft loss all reported within a short span.
Damage on the Ground
An Iranian missile struck a site in Petah Tikva on Thursday, April 02, 2026. Israeli security forces and rescue teams inspected the site after the strike. The base article does not provide further details on casualties or the extent of the damage at that location.
Journalists from foreign media based in Tehran documented damage from U.S.-Israeli strikes in a residential area of Fardis, Iran. The reporting identifies the damage as occurring in a residential area, placing civilian infrastructure within the zone of the conflict.
What the Reports Say
The base article attributes the rescue of one crew member to US and Israeli officials and AP sources. It also states that a search-and-rescue operation was underway for the crew after the US fighter jet went down in Iran. No further details are provided in the base material about the condition of the remaining crew or the circumstances of the crash.
The article also notes that foreign media journalists based in Tehran documented the damage in Fardis. That documentation is described as covering a residential area affected by U.S.-Israeli strikes.
The events reported on Friday, April 03, 2026, and Thursday, April 02, 2026, show a widening military exchange involving US airstrikes, an Iranian missile strike, and the loss of a US fighter jet in Iran. The base article provides no additional confirmation beyond the cited officials and AP sources.