On Friday evening, April 3, the Iranian military announced that a US A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft was shot down by the country's air defense system near the Strait of Hormuz. "The A-10 aircraft was shot down by the army's air defense systems and fell into the waters of the Persian Gulf," a statement quoted by Iran's state broadcaster IRIB said.
Earlier, The New York Times, citing two US officials, reported that the aircraft had crashed in the Persian Gulf. According to the publication's sources, the aircraft crashed near the Strait of Hormuz, and the pilot was rescued. The cause of the attack aircraft's crash has not yet been determined.
This is the second US Air Force plane to be lost in the Middle East in the past 24 hours. Earlier, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also announced that it had shot down a US fighter jet. Although Iran initially said it was an F-35, experts confirmed that it was actually an F-15E based on published fragments.
The US administration officially confirmed that the plane was lost. Search efforts are underway on both sides for the pilots. According to American media, one crew member was rescued, while the fate of the other is still unknown.
US President Donald Trump, speaking by telephone to NBC News, said that the incident would not affect negotiations with Iran. "No, absolutely not. This is war," he said.
At the same time, Trump did not comment on the question of what action would be taken if it is clear that the second crew member of the downed F-15E was captured or injured, saying, "I can't comment on that, because we hope that it is not."
The incident has further complicated the security environment in the region, drawing attention to the military and political consequences. For fans and the public, the interaction between the United States and Iran is of great importance not only geopolitically, but also militarily.
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