U.S. Rescue Operation Underway After F-15E Shot Down Over Iran as War Enters Sixth Week

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2026 — The United States military launched a search and rescue operation Friday after an F-15E Strike Eagle carrying two crew members was shot down over central Iran, with one pilot successfully recovered and the second still unaccounted for as of late evening, U.S. officials confirmed.

A second American aircraft also crashed near the Strait of Hormuz the same day, though that pilot was safely rescued. MS NOW The twin incidents capped what officials and analysts described as the most kinetically intense week of the conflict since U.S. and Israeli forces launched their coordinated campaign against Iran on February 28.

The broader military picture remained fluid. American and Israeli forces widened their strikes to hit infrastructure in and around the Iranian capital, including the century-old Pasteur Institute medical research center, steel plants, and a major bridge near Tehran. A drone strike also struck a Red Crescent aid warehouse in Bushehr province. Al Jazeera

U.S. officials said the bridge bombed in the Karaj region, west of Tehran, was used to transport materials for Iranian military drones. Iran insisted it was civilian infrastructure. NPR The question carries significant legal weight: international law experts told multiple outlets that deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure without military justification would constitute a war crime under both international and domestic American law.

The human toll of the conflict has grown steeply. At least 2,076 people have been killed and more than 26,500 wounded in Iran since hostilities began. Iranian authorities said more than 600 schools and educational centers have been struck. Al Jazeera

On the strategic front, the war’s most consequential chokepoint remained the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes. Iran’s blockade of the strait has halted most shipping and driven Brent crude prices above $100 per barrel, with prices climbing nearly 8 percent on Friday alone to approximately $109. NPR

President Donald Trump said Friday the strait would be reopened and that it would only take “a little more time.” The United Kingdom, meanwhile, held talks with approximately 40 countries on measures to restore safe passage, with the United States not participating in those discussions. Al Jazeera

A month into the campaign, the United States has struck more than eleven thousand targets. Iran’s conventional navy has been largely neutralized, but its fleet of small speedboats capable of threatening the strait remains largely intact. Iran’s missile and drone capacity has been substantially degraded, yet Tehran has demonstrated the ability to close the strait with minimal assets by creating a chilling effect on shippers and insurers. Council on Foreign Relations

Diplomatically, the path to resolution remained narrow. The U.S. position continues to demand an end to Iran’s nuclear program, missile program, and proxy support structure. Iran is seeking sanctions relief and international security guarantees. The gap between both sides’ formal proposals shows little overlap. Council on Foreign Relations

Pakistan said it would continue pushing for negotiations but acknowledged there are significant obstacles to any peace effort. Al Jazeera The Gulf Cooperation Council called on the United Nations Security Council to authorize the use of force to protect the strait from further Iranian interference.

In Washington, a separate institutional shake-up unfolded in the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth abruptly dismissed the U.S. Army’s top general and two other senior officers, prompting significant speculation about a wartime restructuring of military leadership. Al Jazeera

The war, now in its 35th day, shows no immediate sign of diplomatic resolution.