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By Gabe Whisnant
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President Donald Trump voiced frustration with media coverage of what he described as an intense and highly sensitive U.S. rescue operation after an American fighter jet was downed in southwestern Iran on Friday.
In a brief phone interview with NBC News, Trump declined to discuss specifics of the ongoing search-and-rescue effort, saying it involved sensitive military operations. One of the two crew members has been rescued, but U.S. officials have not identified either airman.
Asked whether the developments would affect any negotiations with Iran, Trump said they would not. “No, not at all. No, it’s war. We’re in war, Garrett,” he told NBC News correspondent Garrett Haake. The remarks were Trump’s first public comments about the F-15E incident.
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Why It Matters
Now in its sixth week, the war is rippling through the global economy as Iran responds to U.S. and Israeli strikes by targeting energy infrastructure in the Gulf and tightening controls on oil and natural gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has said U.S. forces will continue striking Iran “very hard” over the next two to three weeks.
The war in Iran was already facing widespread public opposition before the F-15 was downed, an incident that dominated headlines on Friday.
What To Know
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier Friday that Trump had been briefed on the F-15 crash.
The president later posted on Truth Social, writing, “KEEP THE OIL, ANYONE?” The White House then called an early “lid” for press, indicating Trump would not appear before reporters — a move that underscored how tightly the administration was controlling public messaging as the rescue effort continued.
Later Friday, Iranian state media reported that Iranian air defenses had hit a U.S. A-10 aircraft, citing Iran’s Army public relations office. Few details were immediately available. However, the New York Times reported that the A-10 pilot had been recovered. The A-10, also known as the Warthog, is a single-seat ground-attack aircraft.
No official details have been immediately released on either incident. However, the Pentagon notified the House Armed Services Committee that the status of a second service member remains unknown after the F-15 crash. In an internal Pentagon email obtained by The Associated Press, the U.S. military said it had received notice of “an aircraft being shot down” in the Middle East, without providing further details.
The incidents marked the first time a U.S. aircraft had been downed in the conflict and came just two days after the president said in a national address that the United States had “beaten and completely decimated Iran” and was preparing to end the campaign quickly.
Service Members Wounded in Iran War
A total of 365 U.S. service members have been wounded in action during the war in Iran, according to Pentagon data posted online.
As of Friday, the wounded included 247 Army soldiers, 63 Navy sailors, 19 Marines and 36 Air Force airmen, the data showed. It was not immediately clear whether the figures include any of the service members involved in the downing of two U.S. combat aircraft reported earlier Friday.
Most of those wounded — 200 — were mid‑ to senior‑level enlisted troops, while 85 were officers and 80 were junior enlisted service members.
The Pentagon has said the death toll remains at 13 U.S. service members killed in combat.
Iran War Death Toll
More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes, according to regional officials and independent conflict monitors. In a review released Friday, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project, a U.S.-based group, said its analysis found civilian casualties were largely concentrated around strikes on security and state‑linked facilities “rather than indiscriminate bombardment” of urban areas.
Beyond Iran, more than two dozen people have been killed in Gulf states and the occupied West Bank, while Israeli authorities report 19 deaths inside Israel and the Pentagon has said 13 U.S. service members have been killed in combat.
In Lebanon, where fighting has spread as part of the broader conflict, officials say more than 1,300 people have been killed and more than 1 million displaced. Israeli military officials have said 10 Israeli soldiers have also died there.
What People Are Saying
Democratic Senator Mark Kelly wrote on X, "I’m thankful one crew member has been rescued and I'm praying for the safety of the other and everyone involved in this operation. Flying combat missions over enemy territory is one of the most dangerous things our military does, and combat search and rescue can be even more dangerous. I know they are doing everything they can to bring this crew home safe."
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, mocked the United States after the F-15 downing. In a post on X, Qalibaf ridiculed the U.S. military campaign, calling it a “no‑strategy war” and suggesting it had shifted from talk of regime change to a search for missing pilots. Iranian state media separately asserted that Iran’s forces shot down a U.S. F‑15E Strike Eagle. Qalibaf later doubled down on his criticism in a follow‑up post, writing, “What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses.”
Trump said earlier this week, “Thanks to the progress we’ve made, I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly. We’re going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks.”
What Happens Next
The crew member from the downed F‑15 remained missing as search-and-rescue operations continued, and neither the White House nor the Pentagon released details Friday about either incident involving U.S. fighter aircraft.
Updates: 4/3/26, 6:19 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Updates: 4/3/26, 7:30 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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