US-Israel War On Iran Update: US Fighter Jet Shot Down Over Iran, Report US and Iranian Media

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the Army's top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George, to step down, the Pentagon said Thursday, as the United States wages a war against Iran.

A Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, confirmed that George has been asked to take early retirement from the post of Army chief of staff, which he has held since August 2023.

The ouster of George is just the latest of more than a dozen firings of top generals and admirals by Hegseth since he first took office last year.

Source: Aljazeera

Iraqi armed group Saraya Awliya al-Dam says it has carried out five attacks targeting US bases in the past 24 hours.

The group of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq also said its fighters have carried out 23 operations targeting US bases both within Iraq and across the broader region in the past 24 hours, confirming the deployment of dozens of drones to carry out the strikes.

The Lebanese group says its fighters have detonated an explosive device targeting an Israeli force in the Deir Hanna area of Biyyada in southern Lebanon.

The group also said it targeted a gathering of Israeli troops in the Malkia settlement, and another gathering of Israeli soldiers in the Dishon settlement. Both gatherings were targeted with rocket barrages.

Some of Asia’s major stock markets are having a strong start to the day after stocks on Wall Street were largely flat overnight.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose more than 1 percent on Friday morning, while South Korea’s KOSPI climbed more than 2 percent.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index bucked the rally, dropping about 0.7 percent.

Three Omani ships appear to be transiting the Strait of Hormuz outside Iran’s “approved corridor” near Larak Island, according to tracking data monitored by shipping journal Lloyd’s List.

The convoy consists of two large oil supertankers and one liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier that are sailing “unusually close to the Omani coast,” according to the UK-based outlet.

Source: Aljazeera

US President Donald Trump ‌warned on Thursday (April 2) ⁠about striking and destroying bridges and ‌electric power plants ‌in ‌Iran ⁠in his ⁠latest threat to hit the country’s infrastructure.

The ‌US military “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left ‌in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric ⁠Power Plants,” Trump wrote ‌on social media.

His post said that Iran’s leadership “knows ‌what has to be done, and has ⁠to be done, ⁠FAST!”

Source: Reuters

The UN Security Council’s vote on a proposal to ensure the safety of ships in the Strait of Hormuz has been rescheduled from Friday to Saturday, according to media reports.

The council’s 15 members are set to vote on a resolution from Bahrain aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the critical waterway, which usually carries about one-fifth of global oil and natural gas supplies.

The Associated Press and Reuters news agencies have reported that a draft resolution includes text authorising countries “to use all defensive means necessary” to protect commercial shipping.

After US President Donald Trump said on Thursday (April 2, 2026) that Iran’s tallest bridge had been destroyed, Iran FM Araghchi said, “Striking civilian structures, including unfinished bridges, will not compel Iranians to surrender.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the West Asia crisis is a “shared concern” for Russia and Egypt, telling Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty that Moscow stands ready to assist in stabilising the situation.

“We all hope that the ongoing conflict will be promptly resolved. As you know, President Trump also addressed this issue yesterday. Let me reiterate that we are prepared to make every effort to help stabilise the situation and, as they say in such cases, return it to normal,” Putin said during a meeting at the Kremlin, according to a Russian readout.

-Al Jazeera

The WHO on Friday said several health facilities, including hospitals and pharmaceutical centres, have been heavily damaged in strikes, with its chief noting that the Pasteur Institute in Tehran was among those hit.

“The Institute was established in 1920 and has been operating for over a century in multiple areas of medical research. It plays an important role in protecting and promoting population health, including in emergencies. Two of its departments have been working with as collaborating centres,” his post read.

Iran has claimed it shot down a second U.S. F-35 fighter jet over central parts of the country, according to a report by Mehr news agency, cited by Reuters.

Former CIA director Bill Burns has cautioned that rising tensions over Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz could leave the U.S. shifting responsibility onto its allies.

Speaking on a Foreign Affairs podcast, Burns said U.S. President Donald Trump may consider high-risk options such as a ground operation targeting Kharg Island or seizing territory along the strait.

He also outlined a third scenario—Washington declaring victory while passing on the burden of securing the waterway to European and Gulf allies. Burns described this as an inversion of the Pottery Barn rule, a phrase linked to Colin Powell ahead of the 2003 Iraq War.

“Instead, it would be, ‘we break it, you own it,’” he said, referring to responsibility for ensuring safe passage through the strait.

- AP

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked General Randy George to step down as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official confirmed a CBS News report that George had been asked to take immediate retirement. While no formal reason was given, the report cited a source saying Hegseth was seeking leadership aligned with the vision of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell later said in a post on X that George “will be retiring from his position… effective immediately,” without elaborating further.

George is among the latest senior military officials to exit during Trump’s second term. His departure comes as the United States remains engaged in a conflict with Iran that the president has suggested could continue for several more weeks.

- AFP

Human remains have been discovered aboard the Mayuree Naree, which was struck near the Strait of Hormuz on March 11, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said Friday.

The vessel was hit by a projectile just north of Oman, leaving three crew members missing.

The search was conducted by a team hired by Precious Shipping, the ship’s owner. Authorities did not specify when the latest search took place or the vessel’s current location. A previous search had been disclosed on March 30.

According to the ministry, the remains were found in a damaged section of the ship, but their identities have not yet been confirmed.

- AP

Iran’s former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has proposed a potential pathway to end the war with the U.S. and Israel, suggesting Tehran could limit its nuclear programme and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting all sanctions.

Writing in Foreign Affairs, Zarif—who helped broker the 2015 nuclear deal and is seen as close to President Masoud Pezeshkian—said the offer might now be more acceptable to Washington.

He also took aim at U.S. President Donald Trump’s allies, criticising Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner over their understanding of geopolitics.

- AP

Iran has warned the United Nations Security Council against any “provocative action” over the Strait of Hormuz, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi cautioning that such moves would worsen tensionshe

The statement came ahead of a planned vote on a Bahrain-backed resolution to authorise “defensive” force to secure shipping, which was later postponed amid objections from members including Russia, China and France.

A U.S.-sanctioned tanker carrying Iranian crude has changed course mid-voyage, shifting its destination from India, where it would have marked the first such delivery in nearly seven years, to China.

The Aframax tanker Ping Shun, built in 2002 and sanctioned by the U.S. in 2025, is now signalling Dongying as its destination instead of Vadinar in Gujarat, which it had indicated earlier this week, according to ship-tracking firm Kpler.

There is no confirmation that the destination shown by the vessel’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder, a tracking system required on most commercial ships,is final, and it could change again during the voyage.

-AP

French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed on Friday to work together to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease global economic uncertainty stemming from the Middle East conflict.

The summit in Seoul came as U.S. President Donald Trump criticised allies for not backing the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran.

At the start of the meeting, Macron told Lee that both countries could help stabilise the Middle East situation, including efforts related to the Strait of Hormuz, according to South Korean media.

-AP

Debris from an intercepted projectile triggered a fire at the Habshan gas facility, a major gas processing complex in the UAE, the Abu Dhabi media office said.

“Operations have been suspended while authorities respond to a fire. No injuries have been reported,” it added in a post on X.

Kuwait said on Friday that an Iranian attack caused damage to a desalination plant, hours after drones struck an oil refinery earlier in the day.

Authorities said the strike led to “material damage to some of the plant’s components,” without providing further details.

Desalination supplies about 90% of Kuwait’s drinking water and is a critical source across Gulf countries and Iran, making such facilities a key target in the ongoing conflict. Gulf states view attacks on these plants as a direct threat to their survival.

-AP

The Israeli military said on Friday it had hit more than 3,500 targets across Lebanon in the month since fighting with Hezbollah escalated.

Lebanon was drawn into the conflict on March 2 after Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel following a U.S.-Israeli strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel has since carried out extensive airstrikes and a ground offensive in Lebanon.

The military also said around 1,000 militants had been killed over the past month, with strikes targeting what it described as “terrorist infrastructure, weapons storage facilities, launch positions, and command and control headquarters” belonging to Hezbollah.

-AFP

Italy’s economy minister has said the European Union could consider relaxing its strict limits on member state budget deficits as the economic impact of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran spreads globally.

The EU currently requires member states to keep budget deficits below 3% of GDP.

“It’s clear that a European-level discussion, if the situation doesn’t change, will be inevitable, in my opinion,” Giancarlo Giorgetti told reporters in Rome.

He added that he had already raised the issue with his European counterparts.

-Al Jazeera

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in remarks made public on Friday that Kyiv could help restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, whose closure by Iran has shaken the global economy.

He did not elaborate on how Ukraine would contribute, but pointed to the country’s experience in reopening Black Sea shipping routes after Russia blocked them at the start of its invasion.

-AFP

A container ship declaring French ownership transited the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, according to Marine Traffic data analysed by AFP on Friday.

The Maltese-flagged Kribi, operated by French shipping group CMA CGM, crossed the strait — largely blocked by Iran since early in the Middle East conflict — to exit the Gulf on Thursday afternoon, the tracking data showed.

By Friday morning, the vessel was off Muscat, Oman, still broadcasting the message “owner France” on its transponder system in a field typically used to indicate its destination.

-AFP

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency said it has obtained images of a US fighter jet it claims was shot down over central Iran by IRGC air defences.

The agency did not repeat earlier claims that the aircraft was an F-35, but said the images show markings linking it to the US European Command, which operates aircraft including F-35s, F-15s, F-22s and F-16s.

“The fighter jet belongs to the 48th Squadron of the US European Command, based at Lakenheath Air Base, England. The squadron has been deployed to the CENTCOM mission area for operations against Iran,” Tasnim reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is devoting significant time to the worsening Middle East crisis, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

Nearly five weeks after it began with joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, the war in Iran continues to destabilise the region and rattle financial markets, increasing pressure on U.S. President Donald Trump to bring the conflict to a swift end.

-Reuters

All masses in Dubai have been cancelled due to the Middle East war, two Catholic churches in the United Arab Emirates said on their websites on Friday, just ahead of Easter.

Following government directives, “all Masses at our Church are cancelled until further notice,” St Francis of Assisi Church in Jebel Ali posted.

“Parishioners are requested to refrain from visiting the Church premises, in the interest of safety and community well-being,” the announcement added.

St Mary’s Catholic Church in Dubai issued a similar notice and said its Good Friday mass would instead be live-streamed on the church’s YouTube channel.

-The Hindu via AFP

According to Iran’s state media, eight people were killed and 95 others were wounded in the attack on the B1 bridge, linking Tehran to Karaj, scheduled to open this year. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman says the US and Israeli attacks on Iran’s bridges amount to a “war crime in the style of ISIS terrorism.”

“Destroying the great bridges, which stand as steadfast symbols of the ingenuity, commitment, and tireless efforts of Iranian engineers and workers, does not elevate the saboteurs,” Baghaei posted on X.

According to a statement carried by Tasnim News Agency, Iran’s army claimed that it has launched drone attacks on US-linked sites across the Gulf, including in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.

The strikes targeted facilities tied to US forces following attacks on Iranian infrastructure, including Iran’s industries and steel factory complexes of Isfahan and Khuzestan and the B1 bridge in Karaj.

“Starting this morning [Iran] targeted the warehouse of equipment and support and accommodation of the terrorist US army forces in Jordan [and the] location of the mechanized battalion of the US armored brigade in the Arifjan camp in Kuwait,” said the statement.

It said that it also targeted with drones the “largest aluminum smelter in Bahrain as a supporter of the US military industries”.

-Al Jazeera

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said in a video statement that 70% of Iran's steel production capacity has been destroyed.

“We are eliminating commanders, bombing bridges, bombing infrastructures,” he added.

Netanyahu further stated that with full cooperation between Trump and himself, and between the IDF and the United States military, they would "continue to crush Iran."

A US fighter jet has been downed, according to Iran’s state media.

A US official speaking to Axios, the Reuters news agency and the New York Times has confirmed the same with rescue operations underway. Iran's state media further states that US military is trying to conduct a search-and-rescue operation. Al Jazeera further reports that Iranian television has also announced that they are offering 10 billion Tomans ($64,102) for anyone who can find the pilots.

Authorities also urged Iranians to search for the American pilot in neighboring Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, in addition to Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province.

The U.S. military rescue operation launched Friday after Iranian state media said an American fighter jet went down over southwest Iran and at least one crew member ejected.

Israel is helping the United States with the search and rescue operation, according to an Israeli military officer briefed on the information who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of a U.S. announcement.

Social media footage showed American drones, aircraft and helicopters flying over the mountainous region where the Iranian channel said at least one pilot bailed out of the fighter jet.

It would be the first time the U.S. has lost aircraft in Iranian territory during the five-week war. It was not clear if the jet was shot down or crashed. The number of crew on board was not immediately known.

The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command didn’t immediately respond to several messages seeking comment. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said “President Trump has been briefed.”

AP

Reports from CBS news and Axios confirm that one of the pilots has been rescued.

One crew member from the U.S. F-15E fighter jet downed over Iran was rescued by American forces, two U.S.

The F-15E is a two-member crew aircraft. The search and rescue mission is ongoing.

The Israeli military says air defenses are being activated to intercept the fire.

Jordan, the state-owned news agency says alarms are sounding across the country.

AP