US seeks crew after fighter jet shot down in Iran, officials say

WASHINGTON — Iran shot down a United States fighter jet on its territory, American officials and press outlets linked to the Iranian regime said this Friday (3).

The whereabouts of the crew are still unknown. According to US officials, American forces are racing against time to mount a search and rescue operation before Iran can locate possible survivors.

The US Central Command maintains several task forces positioned in the region, in countries such as Iraq and Syria, precisely for rescue in the event of downed aircraft. But the mission is considered extremely high risk, as Iran has a demonstrated ability to attack, especially slower helicopters that would be used in this type of operation.

The shooting down of the fighter jet occurred on the same day that President Donald Trump publicly celebrated the US bombing of an Iranian highway bridge and warned on social media that “much more will come”. The attack on the B1 bridge, which connects Tehran to the Caspian Sea region, left eight dead and 95 injured, according to Iranian media.

An American military official said the bridge was bombed twice, destroying what it called a planned supply route for Iran’s missile and drone forces.

The sources interviewed spoke on condition of anonymity to detail operational information.

In a national address on Wednesday night, Trump stated that the United States is close to completing its military objectives in Iran and said that American and Israeli attacks “decimated” the regime and the Iranian Armed Forces. He promised another two to three weeks of intense bombing.

“In the next two or three weeks, we are going to take them back to the Stone Age, which is where they belong,” declared the president.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed his chief’s phrase on social media.

“Back to the Stone Age,” wrote Hegseth.