An F-35A Lightning II aircraft from Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Credit: Scott Wolff

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On Friday 3 April 2026, A US fighter jet was shot down over Iran and a search and rescue operation was underway for any survivors, a US official told Reuters, in the first such known incident since the US launched its war with Iran on 28 February 2026.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not offer further details. 

The Pentagon and US Central Command did not respond to requests for comment.

The prospect of US pilots being alive and on the run inside Iran during an ongoing conflict greatly raises the stakes for the United States in the conflict. Iranian officials called on civilians to be on the lookout for survivors.

The governor of Iran's Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province said whomever captured or killed the crew "would be specially commended," according to the semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA.