A United States F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over Iran, marking the first such incident since the conflict began nearly five weeks ago, prompting a high-stakes rescue operation. One US service member has been successfully rescued, while efforts continued to locate the second crew member late on Friday. Initially, Iranian state media claimed an advanced US F-35 was hit, releasing images of wreckage. However, aviation experts identified the debris as belonging to an F-15E from the US Air Force’s 494th squadron, based at RAF Lakenheath in the UK, with markings on the tail fins consistent with Strike Eagles normally stationed there.

US officials later confirmed off the record that an F-15E had been brought down, and the Pentagon initiated a frantic scramble to find the crew before Iranian forces. While there was no official comment from the US military, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed President Donald Trump had been briefed. The rescue mission, likely a high-risk operation with rescue aircraft potentially exposed to ground fire, involved a US C-130 Hercules and an HH-60 Pavehawk helicopter, which were filmed flying low and refueling together in south-west Iran.

Iranian reactions included a businessman offering a $60,000 reward for capturing the crew members alive, and a presenter on an Iranian TV channel in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province urging residents to hand over any 'enemy pilot' to police for a reward. This provided a clue to the incident's location, with geolocated footage indicating rescue planes flying near Behbahan in the neighboring Khuzestan province, approximately 30 miles from the Gulf coast. The Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, publicly ridiculed the US, questioning their military strategy.

Evidence suggested at least one crew member ejected safely, as a social media account linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards posted a picture of an ACES II ejector seat in a desert landscape, a type used in F-15Es. Conflicting reports emerged from Iran, with Tasnim news agency stating the pilot was in custody, contradicting earlier claims of the pilot's death. US Central Command, leading the attack on Iran, denied Iranian claims of another F-35 jet being downed over Qeshm Island, asserting all US fighter aircraft were accounted for. Prior to this incident, no US fighter jets had been lost over Iran in the five-week conflict, though three F-15Es were lost in a friendly fire incident in Kuwait on March 1. The total cost of lost and damaged US Air Force aircraft, including 16 uncrewed Reaper drones, has been estimated at over $3 billion, with F-15Es costing between $31 million (late 1990s models) and nearly $100 million (newer models).

The broader conflict continues to escalate, with powerful blasts reported in northern Tehran as Israel launched new waves of strikes on the Iranian capital and Beirut. US President Trump reiterated threats to bomb Iran's infrastructure, taking credit for an attack on a newly built 136-meter-high suspension bridge between Tehran and Karaj that killed eight people and injured 95. He further threatened to destroy Iran's electricity network. Fresh footage confirmed the $400 million bridge was severed in three places by the bombing. Concerns over violations of international humanitarian law, including potential war crimes, were raised by over 100 international law experts, specifically citing US threats against Iran’s energy infrastructure, which they warned could constitute war crimes as such objects are indispensable to civilian survival.

Further incidents included damage to a power and desalination plant in Kuwait and the closure of the Mina al-Ahmadi refinery due to a drone strike from Iran, though Iran blamed Israel for the Kuwaiti power plant attack. The UK announced it would send a counter-drone team to assist Kuwait. US officials reportedly informed Israel against killing Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, to preserve a senior political figure for potential peace negotiations, despite Iran's continued resistance. Missile attacks from Iran and Lebanon persisted against Israel, causing minor casualties, while Israel carried out fresh strikes on south Beirut following evacuation orders for the area.