U.S. fighter jet downed in Iran, search is on for crew, official says

The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command didn’t immediately comment.

It isn’t clear if the pilot’s plane was shot down or went down for another reason, MS NOW said. The New York Times said Iran shot down an Air Force F-15E fighter jet, citing U.S. and Israeli officials and Iranian state media, though MS NOW said it hadn’t independently verified the reporting.

It appeared to be the first known loss of a U.S. jet in the country since the war in Iran started in late February.

The downing of the jet comes at a delicate time, when the U.S. has showed few signs of slowing its assault on Iran and reports of potential peace talks did not yield a breakthrough. The war has now gone on for more than a month, suffocating tanker traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz and threatening supplies of crude oil, fertilizer and other key commodities.

President Donald Trump claimed in a social media post Friday that the U.S. could “easily” open the strait, “TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE.”

Trump also threatened late Thursday to escalate attacks on Iranian infrastructure. He said the U.S. “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran,” citing bridges and electric power plants.

In remarks Wednesday, Trump said the U.S. would attack Iran “back to the Stone Ages.”