An American F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran on Thursday, the first US aircraft brought down by enemy fire since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28.
Iran initially claimed it had downed an F-35 stealth fighter, but analysts who examined debris photos confirmed the wreckage was an F-15E, according to The Aviationist and The War Zone.
One of the two crew members was rescued by US military helicopters. During the extraction, the rescue chopper took small arms fire and landed with wounded crew, according to CBS News. A search continued into the evening for the second crew member, a weapon systems officer listed as DUSTWUN, the military designation for Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown.
Hours later, an A-10 Thunderbolt dispatched to support the search was struck by Iranian fire. It limped to Kuwaiti airspace where the pilot ejected and was recovered safely, according to CNN.
Neither the Pentagon nor US Central Command had commented publicly as of Thursday evening.
What happened on the ground
Iranian forces brought down the F-15E over southwestern Iran. CNN geolocated video of low-flying military aircraft over Khuzestan Province as part of the search operation. Military.com reported the crash site was in southern Tehran Province, though the exact location remained unclear.
Retired pilots speculated that Reaper drones and additional fighter jets were flying cover overhead while US forces waited for nightfall to attempt a second extraction.
Iran claimed credit but did not specify the weapon used. Whether it was a surface-to-air missile or anti-aircraft fire was not confirmed.
A day of escalation
Thursday's shootdown capped a day of intensifying violence on both sides.
US and Israeli strikes hit the B1 bridge between Tehran and Karaj, one of Iran's tallest bridges. Iranian state media said the structure was struck twice, roughly an hour apart, killing at least 13 people and wounding 95 others who had gathered nearby to celebrate Nature Day, a national holiday. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the strike, saying it targeted civilians at an unfinished bridge.
Washington said the strike aimed to cut drone and missile supply lines to Iranian firing units. Iran responded by threatening to hit bridges in Israel, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Jordan, and Iraq.
Separately, Iran launched strikes against Gulf refinery infrastructure, according to NPR, adding to the pressure on a refining sector already running short.
UN resolution stalls
At the United Nations, a Bahrain-drafted Security Council resolution to authorize "all defensive means necessary" to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz hit resistance from China, Russia, and France. Original language invoking Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which allows armed force, was stripped from the revised draft.
A vote initially set for Friday was pushed to Saturday, April 5, after the UN observed Good Friday as a public holiday. Iran's delegation called the resolution "irrelevant," saying it "fails to consider the root cause of the crisis."
What it means for oil
Oil markets were closed when the shootdown was confirmed. WTI ended Thursday at $111.54 per barrel, up 11.42%, with Brent at $109.03.
When trading resumes, the market will digest all of this at once: a downed American jet, a missing pilot behind enemy lines, Iran's air defenses proving capable enough to bring down frontline fighters, and threats of further infrastructure attacks from both sides.
None of it points toward de-escalation before Trump's April 6 deadline. Three events land in the next 72 hours: a UN Security Council vote on Saturday, an OPEC+ meeting on Sunday, and Trump's ultimatum on Monday. Each one carries binary risk for crude.
Iran's ability to down an F-15E signals that the air campaign will not be the quick, clean operation some traders had priced in. A longer conflict means a longer Hormuz closure, tighter supply, and a higher floor under oil prices.
Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran's government "knows what has to be done" and warned that the US would target power plants and desalination facilities "by next week" if the strait is not reopened.
Day 34 of the war ended with an American pilot missing in Iran, a UN vote delayed, and no path to resolution before the weekend.