Rabbit Trails

The Dispatch Three United States military aircraft were struck by Iranian forces on Friday, April 3, 2026, in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz and southwestern Iran. This correspondent files the following status update as of late afternoon Eastern time. The first aircraft struck was a United States Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle, a two-seat platform crewed by a pilot and a weapons systems officer, assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron of the 48th Fighter Wing based at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in Suffolk, England. The IRGC claimed responsibility for the downing, stating the aircraft was shot down over the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province in southwestern Iran. Analysis of wreckage photographs by weapons experts confirmed the debris consistent with an F-15E. One crew member was located and rescued by United States special forces on Iranian territory and is alive and receiving medical treatment. The search for the second crew member is ongoing. Israel cancelled planned strikes in Iran in areas relevant to the rescue effort and is providing intelligence assistance to locate the remaining crew member. A second aircraft, a United States Air Force A-10 Warthog ground-attack aircraft, was also struck by Iranian forces on Friday near the Strait of Hormuz. The A-10 carries a single pilot. The pilot was rescued and is accounted for and safe, government officials told Newsmax. Circumstances of the A-10 incident remain limited at time of filing. A third aircraft, a United States Army Black Hawk helicopter, was struck by Iranian fire during the search and rescue operation for the F-15E crew. The Black Hawk was able to exit Iranian territory and land safely. All crew members aboard the Black Hawk are accounted for and safe, government officials told Newsmax. In connection with the F-15E downing, Iranian state television broadcast an instruction to civilians in southwestern Iran to locate the downed pilots and hand them over to police, with a reward offered for delivery alive. A separate on-screen crawl on the same broadcast urged civilians to shoot them if you see them, referring to footage of United States aircraft operating in the area. The Iranian armed forces simultaneously issued a statement calling on the public not to mistreat the pilot. All three instructions were in circulation on Friday afternoon. The fate of the second F-15E crew member has not been confirmed. This correspondent notes that on Wednesday evening, April 1, the President stated in his primetime address to the nation that Iran has no anti-aircraft equipment, that its radar is one hundred percent annihilated, and that the United States is unstoppable as a military force. Defense Secretary Hegseth had similarly stated that the United States had achieved dominance of the Iranian skies. The United States military has conducted more than 13,000 combat flights over Iran since February 28. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed during the operation. Three F-15Es were previously lost in a friendly fire incident involving Kuwaiti air defenses early in the campaign, with no casualties. Friday’s downing marks the first confirmed instance of a United States aircraft being shot down by Iranian forces during the conflict. The operation has not been designated a war. This correspondent further notes that at 8:22 AM on the morning of April 3, several hours before the first aircraft was reported struck, the President published a post to Truth Social stating that with a little more time, the United States can easily open the Hormuz Strait, take the oil, and make a fortune, describing the prospect as a “GUSHER” for the world. The post has not been amended. The search for the second F-15E crew member is ongoing. Source Block Primary: Axios — US fighter jet shot down: https://www.axios.com/2026/04/03/iran-us-fighter-shot-down CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-fighter-jet-f15e-downed-over-iran/ Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/04/03/f-15-crash-iran-missing/ The War Zone: https://www.twz.com/air/photos-of-f-15e-wreckage-emerge-amid-iranian-claims-it-shot-down-an-american-fighter Washington Times (bounty/shoot instruction): https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/3/iran-says-downed-american-fighter-jet-us-reportedly-mounting-rescue/ A-10 / Black Hawk: Disclose.tv via Newsmax — https://www.disclose.tv/id/6yynuihai8/ NYT live updates: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/04/03/world/iran-war-trump-oil Screenshots: screenshots/1775244391179_image.png, screenshots/1775244409714_image.png, screenshots/1775245369539_image.png, screenshots/1775245390917_image.png, screenshots/1775245470985_image.png Internal cross-references: Gusher post: 2026-04-03-trump-hormuz-gusher-take-the-oil.md Operation Epic Fury address: 2026-04-02-trump-address-nation-operation-epic-fury-nearing-completion.md