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News Topical, Digital Desk : The ongoing war in West Asia has entered its second month and is becoming more and more fierce. Seething with retaliation after the destruction of its Karz-B1 bridge in a US-Israeli attack, Iran on Friday shot down a US F-15E fighter jet and another American A-10 aircraft.
The US claimed to have rescued one of the pilots, but the whereabouts of the other pilot remained unknown. A US Black Hawk helicopter that was searching for him was later shot down by Iran, and the fate of its occupants is also unknown.
The Iranian military has claimed that its forces have successfully targeted and shot down an American A-10 aircraft.
This A-10 aircraft was shot down near Hormuz
The New York Times also reported a US fighter jet crash in the Persian Gulf, with its pilot rescued. However, Iranian media claimed the A-10 was shot down near Hormuz. Iran has also warned that it will target key bridges in US allies in the region. Iranian media published a list of such bridges on Friday.
The US had proposed a 48-hour ceasefire to Iran, which it rejected.
This includes one bridge each in Kuwait and Bahrain, two in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and three in Jordan. Meanwhile, sources said the US had proposed a 48-hour ceasefire to Iran, which it has rejected.
Iran has also claimed to be drafting a proposal with Oman to monitor the Strait of Hormuz, while US President Donald Trump claimed on TruthSocial that the US could succeed in opening the Strait of Hormuz within a short period of time.
The New York Times quoted US and Israeli officials as saying that the US military has launched a major operation to find the second pilot of the F-15E aircraft before Iran does.
Israel is assisting in this. This is the first known incident of an American fighter jet being shot down over Iranian territory in this war and is likely to escalate tensions. Earlier on March 2, three F-15Es were shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait.
All six pilots in that incident were able to eject safely. Open-source images show US military aircraft flying over Iran, including drones, transport helicopters, and cargo planes, indicating that rescue operations are underway in full swing.
An American fighter pilot said that the US military does not initiate such a rescue operation until contact is established with the pilot or an active signal (beacon) is received from the aircraft's 'ejection seat'.
According to Reuters, Iranian authorities have appealed to their citizens for help in the search for the American pilot. The governor of Iran's mountainous Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces said a reward would be offered to anyone who captures or kills the pilot. Following this, large numbers of people have arrived in the area in cars to search for the pilot. A video of the alleged wreckage of the American plane is being widely circulated in Iran.
According to the Associated Press, Iran also attacked several other targets across the region, setting Kuwait's Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery on fire. Kuwait also reported that an Iranian attack damaged a desalination plant, which supplies drinking water to Gulf countries. Sirens warning of attacks were also heard in Bahrain.
Saudi Arabia reported it had destroyed several Iranian drones, and Israel reported incoming missiles. UAE authorities shut down a gas field after debris from an intercepted missile fell on it, sparking a fire.
Trump says downed plane will not derail Iran talks
US President Donald Trump said the downing of an American plane over Iran will not affect ongoing negotiations with Tehran. While he declined to provide further details about the search and rescue operation for the plane's crew, he reiterated that this is a war and therefore nothing will change.
In an interview with NBC News, Trump expressed his frustration with media coverage of the sensitive rescue operation. Asked about the potential impact on negotiations with Iran, he said, "No, absolutely not. No, this is war. We're at war."
Houthi claims joint operation
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Friday claimed to have carried out a joint military operation with Iran and Hezbollah, firing a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting the Israeli Jaffa area, according to ANI. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarie said in a statement that the attack was supported by resistance and jihad fronts in Iraq, Iran, Palestine and Lebanon.
Ground offensive against Hezbollah begins
Attacks were also reported around Tehran and the Iranian central city of Isfahan, but it was unclear what their targets were. Israel has launched a ground offensive in Lebanon in its fight against the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group. An Israeli drone strike on worshippers returning from Friday prayers near Beirut killed two people.
Lebanese universities warned of attacks
The US Embassy in Beirut said on Friday that Iran and its allied armed groups could target Lebanese universities. In a warning, the embassy urged American citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial flights are still available.
Former Iranian diplomat suggests conditions for ending the war
Iran's former top diplomat has published a proposal for ending the war in an influential American magazine. Iran's former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Friday that the time has come to end the suffering. Zarif is a diplomat with extensive experience negotiating with Western countries and is considered close to the pragmatic camp of Iran's leadership.
Ukraine ready to cooperate in reopening Hormuz
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that if invited, Ukraine could contribute to the security of sea lanes, citing its experience in keeping Black Sea shipping routes open despite repeated Russian attacks.
Meanwhile, Trump wrote on his internet media platform, Truth Social, "Given a little more time, we could easily open the Strait of Hormuz, extract oil, and generate enormous wealth. This would be a 'treasure' for the entire world."
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