Footage widely shared on social media and Iranian state media showing US warplanes over Iran matches typical search and rescue mission manoeuvres, according to the BBC's US partner CBS.

CBS national security analyst Aaron MacLean says the footage seems to show US aircraft flying at low altitudes in broad daylight over hostile territory.

He says this is something the US would only do if it had a good reason, such as trying to rescue a downed pilot or pilots.

Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian

Image source, NurPhoto via Getty Images

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has mocked the US on his X account after reports that an American fighter jet was shot down over Iran.

“After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from 'regime change' to 'Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?',” a post on Ghalibaf's account says.

Trump said on 31 March that there has been regime change in Iran, saying the new crop of Iranian leaders are "much less radicalised" and more "rational".

Ghalibaf has also sarcastically posted, "Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses."

His account has been very active recently, posting occasional memes, while he was last seen on state TV on 17 March.

Some unconfirmed reports suggested the Trump administration was considering Ghalibaf as a potential partner and possibly even a future leader.

Few answers from US on downed jet - but many questionspublished at 17:10 BST 3 April

17:10 BST 3 April

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

We’ve had reports from anonymous officials saying a US F-15 was downed over Iran, but there’s been little public comment from either the White House or the Pentagon.

So far, the only word from the White House is that President Trump has been briefed on the situation.

This is likely because search and rescue efforts were still under way, making public confirmation difficult and sensitive during a delicate operation.

We now know that one crew member has been recovered, according to CBS, the BBC’s US partner.

Officials are expected to face questions about the circumstances of the incident.

US officials, including Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, have repeatedly said Iran’s air defence capabilities have been destroyed in the conflict.

A confirmed shoot-down of a fighter jet would immediately raise questions about Iran’s ability and willingness to continue the fight, and the threat it might pose to US personnel and aircraft over the country.

Image source, Getty Images

This is the first case of a US jet being downed in this war - and it matterspublished at 16:58 BST 3 April

16:58 BST 3 April

Ione Wells
Foreign correspondent

This is the first known case of a US fighter jet being shot down over Iran during this conflict. Three F-15Es were shot down by accidental "friendly fire" by Kuwaiti air defences earlier in the war.

Why does that matter?

Firstly, this comes after Donald Trump and his defence secretary Pete Hegseth have both repeatedly suggested that the US has effectively won this war. Hegseth and military commanders have spoken of "air superiority" and how degraded Iran’s air defences are. Trump had claimed that Iran "can’t do a thing" about US planes flying over its country.

That rhetoric now seems over-confident. This shows that Iran still retains - albeit likely a limited and very reduced - capacity to defend its skies.

Secondly, this comes as the US has been threatening further escalation while also talking up hopes for a deal. This could be used as fuel to accelerate that US escalation in retaliation.

It also may increase nerves among the American public that more US service people are being impacted by this war, at a time when the Trump administration has reportedly been mulling a potential ground invasion - which would increase the risk to US personnel significantly.

US President Donald Trump has been briefed on the US fighter jet that was downed over Iran, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

"The President has been briefed," she says.

One crew member from the downed F-15 fighter jet has been rescued, two US officials have told CBS News.

The crew member was rescued by US forces, according to the officials.

Video appears to show US search and rescue operation in southern Iranpublished at 16:35 BST 3 April

16:35 BST 3 April

BBC Verify has confirmed a video showing what appears to be a US plane accompanied by two helicopters flying over southern Iran as a search and rescue operation is carried out for the crew of an American jet.

We have confirmed the video was filmed in Khuzestan province, near a bridge over the Karun river, at this location: 31.591393, 50.275430.

The video has been checked for recency and for signs of AI manipulation.

Reports from the US, quoting unnamed officials, say a search is under way after the shooting down of a US fighter jet over Iran.

BBC Verify is continuing to check footage said to show this operation.

What to know about the F-15E jets used by the USpublished at 16:23 BST 3 April

16:23 BST 3 April

Chris Partridge
BBC News weapons analyst

Debris of a downed aircraft that originally was posted to social media show wreckage consistent with that of an F-15E Strike Eagle.

These are dual-role fighter jets designed for both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions. In Iran, they are most likely to have been involved in Defensive Counter Air roles to shoot down Iranian drones and cruise missiles.

In its air-to-ground strike role, the jet is a weapons platform capable of dropping laser and GPS guided precision munitions, as well as other bombs.

The aircraft has two crew: the pilot in the front who flies the jet and a Weapons Systems Officer in the back seat. The "Wizzo" has four screens in front of them and is responsible for selecting targets and making sure the weapons are properly programmed for the appropriate attack profile.

This two-crew system allows the workload to be divided up, particularly in a congested air environment where the pilot is trying to evade threats.

We do not know what specifically brought down this US jet, but if it was taken down by the Iranians then the most likely reason is a surface-to-air missile (SAM).

Short range, infra-red guided MANPADs are portable systems that remain a serious threat in Iran because they can be quickly moved around. The use of flares "popped" by targeted aircraft is the most common means of trying to defeat SAMs.

US military commanders have often talked of air superiority over parts of Iran in this war, but this incident, if confirmed to be a shoot-down, shows how the dangers very much remain.

Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian

The governor of Iran's southern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province says that the priority is “capturing" any downed US crew "alive”.

“Those who succeed in capturing or killing hostile enemy forces will be specially commended by the Governor’s office," he adds, according to a report by semi-official ISNA news agency.

Meanwhile, Iranian outlets have said that a reward of 10 billion tomans (around £50,000) has been set by traders of the province for anyone who finds the American “intruder”.

A search and rescue effort is under way for a downed US F-15 fighter jet in southern Iran, two sources confirmed to CBS News, the BBC's US news partner.

It is not known how many crew members were on board.

Images posted on social media and verified by CBS News showed a refuelling plane and two helicopters flying low over Khuzestan Province, consistent with a search and rescue mission.

Iran's state media claimed Iranian forces shot down the plane.

Media reports say a US fighter jet has been downed in Iran, with a search under way for the crew.

What we know

• The reports first came in Iranian media, with the Tasnim news agency claiming the US was searching for the crew
• Axios, Reuters and the New York Times have since reported the same, citing a US official. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not offer further details, Reuters says
• It comes after US Central Command (Centcom) denied IRGC reports on Thursday that a fighter pilot had been shot down over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

What we don't know

• Whether the earlier Centcom statement refers to the most recent media reports

• The fate and whereabouts of the crew, and how many were on board
• What type of plane it was

The BBC has contacted Centcom for further information.

A US fighter jet has been shot down over Iran, with a search currently under way for its crew, a US official has told Axios, the Reuters news agency and the New York Times. Separately, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the US is conducting a rescue operation for the crew.

It follows reports in Iranian media that a US search for a downed pilot is under way.

An explosion "inside a UN position" has injured three UN peacekeepers in Lebanon the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) says.

Two of the peacekeepers are seriously injured, the agency says.

Spokesperson Kandice Ardiel says the blast occurred near El Adeisse, in southern Lebanon, with the origin of the explosion not yet identified.

She adds that all three peacekeepers are currently being "evacuated to hospital" for treatment.

It comes after three UN peacekeepers were killed in Lebanon over the past week following two explosions of "unknown origin".

A vote by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on a resolution on the Strait of Hormuz will now take place on Saturday, a spokesperson has told the BBC.

The vote had originally been on the council's provisional schedule for 3 April for 11:00 local time (15:00 GMT), but was not showing on the UN website on Friday.

The decision to postpone the vote was made by the council members, the UN spokesperson adds.

Iran's Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is claiming the US is searching for one of its pilots after a jet was reportedly downed over Iran.

On Thursday morning, US Central Command (Centcom) denied IRGC reports that a fighter jet pilot had been shot down over Qeshm Island, in the Strait of Hormuz.

It is not clear if this statement refers to the most recent Iranian reports and the BBC has contacted Centcom for further detail.

Tasnim reports that US helicopters, planes and reconnaissance drones are involved in the search.

An Iranian state TV newsreader for a local channel has reported that rewards will be given to anyone who captures the pilot alive.

The BBC has not verified the claims and we're working to gather more information.

Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has accused Israel of targeting a water desalination facility and power plant in Kuwait, after Kuwait said Iran had targeted them.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the BBC that it's "not aware" of the attack.

In a statement, the IRGC condemned the attacks and warned Middle Eastern countries to remain “alert” to US and Israeli “efforts to foment unrest, destabilise, and destroy the region”.

In the statement, the IRGC did not mention the oil refinery in Kuwait, which has also reportedly been targeted today.

Earlier this week, Iran also accused Israel of targeting a desalination facility in Kuwait.

Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya, the country’s main military command, on Monday accused Israel of “brutal aggression” against the Kuwaiti plant and of attempting to “frame” Iran.

The comments followed an overnight attack on a power and desalination plant in Kuwait, which reportedly killed an Indian worker and caused damage.

Zolfaghari urged regional states to remain vigilant against what he described as Israeli and US “sedition” aimed at destabilising the Middle East.

Image source, RONEN ZVULUN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock

Israeli strikes have destroyed approximately 70% of Iran's steel production capacity, says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Speaking in a video address posted on social media, Netanyahu calls this a "tremendous achievement" that has deprived the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of financial and military resources.

"In full co-ordination between me and President Trump, between the IDF and the United States military, we will continue to crush Iran," he says.

Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian

Iran’s IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) has confirmed the death of Behnam Rezaei, head of the IRGC Navy Intelligence Directorate, in a statement today.

Israel had previously said it targeted Rezaei in a strike on 26 March.

“Rezaei was responsible for intelligence collection on regional countries and led cooperation with various intelligence organisations,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had said.

Iranian media reported a commemoration ceremony for Rezaei on 27 March, but the IRGC has now confirmed his death days after.

On 26 March, Israel also said it had killed IRGC navy commander Alireza Tangsiri, who was in charge of overseeing blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC confirmed Tangsiri’s death four days after Israel announced it.

Image source, Reuters

In a post on his social media site Truth Social, US President Donald Trump says that the US can "easily" open the Strait of Hormuz "with a little more time" .

He wrote: "With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE. IT WOULD BE A 'GUSHER' FOR THE WORLD???"

Trump has repeatedly offered differing opinions about how the Strait could reopen, suggesting that Western nations should ensure oil supplies move through the critical shipping corridor on their own using military means.

Katie Williams
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

It is day 35 of the US-Israeli war with Iran. Here's the latest news and analysis if you're just joining us.

Iran has continued to strike Israel and its Gulf neighbours, with hits on significant infrastructure.

In Kuwait, a drone strike caused a fire to break out at the Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery - the third time it has been hit. A power and water desalination plant in the country has also been hit, resulting in "material damage to some components", according to officials.

Falling debris caused a fire at a gas facility in Abu Dhabi, authorities say.

In Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported another wave of Iranian missiles earlier today. It comes after the US hit a bridge in the Iranian city of Karaj yesterday, killing eight and injuring nearly 100, according to local officials.

We've been receiving analysis from BBC correspondents about the situation in the Middle East throughout the day - here's a look at what they've had to say.

Strikes on desalination plants could make an arid Gulf unlivable, says our correspondent in Doha.

Meanwhile, in Iran, the regime continues to use executions and arrests to suppress dissent. The sound of patrols moving through the streets is preventing some from sleeping at night, BBC Persian reports.

Elsewhere, the BBC's international editor Jeremy Bowen writes that Donald Trump's latest moves show he has sidelined the rules of international order. "It's clear he wants to find a way out - but no deal is looking at all possible at the moment," he says.