Iran US war Highlights: US F-15 fighter jet shot down in Iran; rescue ops launched

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The World Health Organisation cautioned on Friday about “multiple attacks on health” in Iran in recent days after an airstrike on the Pasteur Institute in Tehran, as per AFP.

“Multiple attacks on health have been reported in the Iranian capital, Tehran, in recent days amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.

He said the Pasteur Institute “sustained significant damage and was rendered unable to continue delivering health services” — one of 20 facilities the WHO has confirmed as being targeted.

US military confirms the American aircraft was “shot down”, according to an email obtained by AP.

A 26‑year‑old woman living in Tehran says she is more worried about the survival of the Islamic Republic’s theocratic rulers than the bombing itself, even as she fears that further escalation targeting infrastructure could leave civilians without power or water. Speaking anonymously and through secure channels for safety, she described how the war’s impact on essential services has heightened her anxieties, according to AP.

“Based on what Trump has been saying, once again I realized that we, the people of Iran are nothing but tools and playthings between these two ideologies and powers of the world,” she said. “Neither our lives nor our well-being matters to anyone. Not to our rulers, who killed (thousands during the January protests) nor to the First World, which has always pursued its own interests.”

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a conversation on Friday with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, during which they discussed the five-point peace plan that Pakistan and China have proposed to resolve the conflict in Middle East, as per PTI.

The peace initiative had been presented earlier in the week, following Dar’s one-day visit to Beijing, where he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to review regional developments.

As the search operation continues for another crew member onboard the US F-15E fighter jet which was downed by Iran today, President Donald Trump, according to the White House, has been briefed. US Central Command did not respond to a request for comment.

Iran US war LIVE updates: The United States forces have rescued one crew member after a fighter jet was downed over Iran, as per the CBS news that cited two US officials.

Israeli media, citing officials, said that one member of a US fighter jet crew has been rescued after the aircraft was downed over Iran amid the ongoing conflict, reported Reuters

Iran on Friday cautioned the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) against taking any “provocative action” ahead of a vote on a draft resolution to authorise a force to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that such a move would only complicate the situation.

After US jet shot down in Iran, search-and-rescue operation is underway for the two-person crew, according to a US official, reported Bloomberg.

The Israeli military announced on Friday that it had begun attacking what it described as “terror infrastructure” in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, as per Reuters.

Three loud explosions were heard reverberating through the city, while local media reported that the strikes struck Beirut’s southern suburbs following a fresh warning issued earlier in the day by Israel’s military spokesperson.

On Thursday, three tankers, including one co-owned by a Japanese firm, navigated the Strait of Hormuz by staying close to Oman’s shoreline, a seldom-used route, as Iran exerts control over the critical, conflict-hit waterway, as per AFP.

Prior to the war, which began over a month ago, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the Strait. That volume has now dropped sharply, as Iran selectively targets ships and energy infrastructure across the Gulf in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes.

Iran deployed troops and announced a bounty as it launched a search for a US pilot, following reports from Iranian media that the pilot’s jet had been downed by the country’s air defence systems on Friday, according to AFP.

US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees military operations in the Middle East, did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment regarding the report, the first of its kind in the ongoing war.

The conflict began over a month ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks that have since escalated across the Middle East, disrupting the global economy and affecting millions of people worldwide.

US President Donald Trump on Friday urged Congress to approve a $1.5 trillion defense budget for 2027, citing rising costs from the ongoing war with Iran and expanding global security obligations, as per AFP.

The plan would increase Pentagon spending by over 40 percent in a single year, marking the steepest rise since World War II, as the US aims to maintain military operations and replenish depleted weapons reserves.

An anchor on an Iranian television-affiliated channel urged residents to hand over any “enemy pilot” to the authorities, offering a reward for compliance. The channel operates in Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, a largely rural and mountainous region covering more than 15,500 square kilometres (5,900 square miles), reported PTI.

Earlier, an on-screen ticker had called on the public to “shoot them if you see them,” referring to social media videos circulating that appeared to show US aircraft in the area

A channel associated with Iranian state television reported on Friday that a US fighter pilot had ejected from an aircraft over southwestern Iran.

It remains unclear what happened to the aircraft, including whether it was allegedly shot down or experienced another issue.

If confirmed, the claim could mark a significant escalation in the conflict, which is approaching the end of its fifth week. The United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

After more than a month of facing targeted assassination attempts, Iran’s leadership has shifted strategy to demonstrate it remains firmly in charge, appearing publicly among small, supportive crowds, as per Reuters.

In recent days, the country’s president and foreign minister have each been seen interacting with gatherings of several hundred people in central Tehran. On Tuesday, state television broadcast footage showing them taking selfies, speaking with citizens, and shaking hands with supporters in public spaces.

Officials said on Friday that state-run public transport in Pakistan’s capital and its most populous province will be free for the next month, following a steep increase in fuel prices driven by rising global energy costs linked to the Iran conflict, as per AFP.

The move comes after a late-night decision to raise petrol prices by 42.7 percent and diesel by 54.9 percent, a step that has already sparked multiple street protests.

“All public transport in Islamabad will be made free of cost for the general public for the next 30 days, starting tomorrow (Saturday),” interior minister Mohsin Naqvi wrote on X.

“As part of the ongoing follow-up to the previously reported incident in the Ajban area caused by falling debris following the successful interception by air defence systems, authorities confirm that the incident has resulted in minor to moderate injuries sustained by 6 individuals of Nepali nationality and 5 individuals of Indian nationality, and one major injury sustained by an individual of Nepali nationality,” Abu Dhabi’s Media Office said.

Abu Dhabi suspended operations at the United Arab Emirates’ largest natural gas processing plant after an attack caused a fire, just hours after strikes targeted major energy infrastructure in Kuwait, as per Bloomberg.

According to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, the Habshan gas facility was shut down after authorities intercepted the incoming attack, but falling debris sparked a fire at the site. The facility, operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., is the UAE’s primary hub for gathering and processing gas from the emirate’s fields and supplying it for domestic use.

Amid the war in the Gaza Strip and two conflicts with Iran within a year, Israel has turned to artificial intelligence to improve the accuracy of its missile early warning systems, according to AFP.

During last year’s 12-day conflict with Iran, incoming missiles would trigger citywide air raid sirens, forcing residents to seek shelter, often multiple times a day.

However, these warning systems have since become more advanced, delivering alerts that are increasingly precise and targeted to specific areas.

A drone strike in southern Iran targeted a warehouse storing aid supplies and emergency vehicles, a spokesperson for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Friday.

According to the spokesperson, the early Friday attack in Bushehr province destroyed two containers, two buses, and several emergency vehicles. She did not assign responsibility for the strike, and Reuters said it was unable to immediately verify who was behind the attack.

The family of a 25-year-old seafarer who was killed in a suspected drone boat attack off the Oman coast during last month’s West Asia conflict has approached the Bombay High Court, seeking directions to the Union government to bring back his mortal remains, according to PTI.

The petition, filed by his father Amratlal Solanki and sister Mitali, is scheduled to be heard on April 6 by a bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar. Filed through advocates S B Talekar and Madhvi Ayyappan, the plea alleges a lack of clear communication from the authorities.

After US forces carried out strikes on the B1 Bridge in Karaj, Alborz Province, widely described as one of Iran’s tallest bridges, causing significant destruction and leaving eight dead and 95 injured on Thursday, Iran issued a list of eight key bridges across the Gulf region and Jordan, signalling possible targets for retaliation.

Iran US war LIVE Updates: A US-sanctioned tanker transporting Iranian crude oil has changed course mid-journey, abandoning its earlier plan to head to India – a move that would have marked the first such delivery in nearly seven years – and is now bound for China.

The Aframax tanker Ping Shun, built in 2002 and sanctioned by the US in 2025, is currently signaling Dongying, China, as its new destination instead of Vadinar in Gujarat, which it had listed earlier this week, according to ship-tracking firm Kpler.

As the war between the United States-Israel and Iran continues with Strait of Hormuz closed for business, Pakistan has announced an unprecedented increase of 43 per cent and 55 per cent in the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD), respectively.

The prices were increased in response to spiking global oil prices.

How does the new prices look:

Petrol price has been increased by ₹137.23 per litre to ₹458.41 from ₹321.17

HSD price has been raised by ₹184.49 per litre to ₹520.35 from ₹335.86.

The price of kerosene was also increased by ₹34.08 per litre to ₹457.80.

Note: The prices have been increased with immediate effect

Even as the United States has threatened Tehran with more attacks on its territory, Iran has targeted more sites in Arab Gulf states overnight and into Friday.

Iran hir Kuwait’s Mina Al Ahmadi oil refinery which caused a fire. While no casualty was reported in the oil refinery, teams were working to put out the blaze.

Authorities also said a power and water desalination plant was attacked early on Friday, causing damages to some components.

The Israeli military has informed the media that it identified and intercepted missiles that were launched from Tehran towards Tel Aviv.

Iran should make a deal with the United States to end the war by offering to curb its nuclear programme and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief, a former Iranian foreign minister said.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, who served as foreign minister from 2013-2021, claimed in an op-ed for American journal Foreign Affairs that Tehran had the “upper hand” in the conflict against the US and Israel, but argued Iran needed to stop the war to prevent the loss of more civilian lives and damage to infrastructure.

“Iran should use its upper hand not to keep fighting but to declare victory and make a deal that both ends this conflict and prevents the next one,” Zarif said in the piece published late Thursday.

A container ship signaling French ownership has exited the Strait of Hormuz, in what appears to be the first known transit by a vessel linked to Western Europe since the war all but shuttered the vital waterway, a Bloomberg report said.

The CMA CGM Kribi sailed from waters off Dubai toward Iran on Thursday afternoon local time, signaling that its owner was French, according to ship-tracking data. It stuck close to the Iranian coast, moving through a channel between the islands of Qeshm and Larak, openly broadcasting its journey. On Friday morning, it signaled that it was off Muscat. Two people familiar with the situation also said the ship had crossed.

Iran claims it has shot down a second US fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet by a modern air-defence system of the Islamic Republic’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iranian state media reported on Friday.

The report also said, the pilot is unlikely to have ejected

According to state media Press TV, citing a statement attributed to the Spokesman of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, it was claimed the jet was downed by a new IRGC Aerospace Force air-defence system.

It further stated that the impact and crash generated a “massive explosion” that made pilot survival unlikely.

Pakistan has announced steep increases in fuel prices, raising petrol by 43% and high-speed diesel (HSD) by 55%, as global oil rates surge amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran.

The government made the announcement on Thursday. The price of petrol has been increased by ₹137.23 per litre (42.7 per cent) to ₹458.41 from ₹321.17, while HSD by ₹184.49 per litre (55 per cent) to ₹520.35 from ₹335.86, with immediate effect.

The price of kerosene was also increased by ₹34.08 per litre to ₹457.80.

Stocks pared earlier losses and oil prices retreated from their highs, following a report that Iran is drafting a protocol with Oman to monitor traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

The S&P 500 Index was down nearly 0.2% after falling more than 1.5% earlier in the session. The Nasdaq 100 was off 0.3%, also rebounding from a deep loss. West Texas Intermediate was up 11% at around $111 per barrel, after rising to nearly $114 earlier in the session, a Bloomberg report says

Iran is drafting a protocol with Oman to monitor traffic through the strait, having effectively shut it down since the start of the war, state-run IRNA reported.

Three tankers broadcasting Omani ownership appeared to enter the Strait of Hormuz by hugging their home country’s coastline, indicating a different route to a northerly path through Iranian waters

Two oil supertankers and a liquefied natural gas vessel headed east into the strait on Thursday, based on the satellite signals they were broadcasting. All three vessels are managed by Oman Ship Management Company, according to the Equasis marine database. The company couldn’t be reached for comment.

UAE defense ministry says its defense system is currently dealing with missiles and drone from Iran

Iran on Friday warned the UN Security Council against any “provocative action” ahead of a vote on a draft resolution mandating a force to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Any provocative action by the aggressors and their supporters, including in the UN Security Council regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, will only complicate the situation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

Kuwait’s Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery said that it has been hit by Iranian drones on Friday, sparking fires at the facility.

The state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corp. issued a statement on the attack and said firefighters were working to control the blazes.

There were no injuries reported, the company said.

Kuwait operates three oil refineries. Mina al-Ahmadi has come under attack multiple times in the war.

Israel’s military said Friday that its air defences were operating to down missiles fired from Iran, as Tehran keeps up its retaliatory fire on the country. There were no immediate reports of any casualties.

The military said in a statement it had “identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel”.

Iran fires missiles at Israel and some Gulf nations while explosions could be heard around Tehran and the central Iranian city of Isfahan on Friday, as the United States prepared to further reinforce its already significant military forces in the Middle East.

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said its Mina al-Ahmadi refinery was hit by drones early on Friday, setting off fires at operating units, according to the state news agency, but no injuries were reported.

French President Emmanuel Macron sees scope for cooperation with South Korea to stabilize the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, but only once bombing ends.

“We discussed the situation in the Middle East at length, and I believe we can do useful things to stabilize the situation in Hormuz, and more broadly once the bombardments have ceased,” Macron said after a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Seoul on Friday. “We want to strengthen our ties in strategic and defense matters.”

The UN Security Council has delayed a vote that was set for Friday on approving the use of “defensive” force to safeguard shipping in the Strait of Hormuz from potential Iranian attacks.

The 15-member body was set to vote Friday morning on a draft resolution brought by Bahrain, but by Thursday night the schedule shifted. According to sources, the date has been shifted as United Nations observes Good Friday as a public holiday. No new dates have been announced so far.

Asian stocks advanced at the end of another volatile week fueled by the Middle-East conflict. Attention also started to turn Friday’s release of key US payrolls data.

MSCI’s benchmark Asia Pacific Index gained as much as 1% after the S&P 500 Index closed 0.1% higher, reversing an earlier loss of 1.5%. Sentiment toward equities improved after oil prices eased off their highs following a report that Iran is drafting a protocol with Oman to monitor traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

South Korea led regional equity gains with the benchmark Kospi jumping as much as 3.5%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 1.1%. China’s CSI 300 Index reversed an earlier advance to drop 0.4%.

Prior to the attack, President Donald Trump issued a warning to Iran on his social media platform, saying that if Tehran failed to accept the US’s 15-point proposal to end the conflict, Washington would escalate its military strikes on targets inside Iran.

An Al Jazeera report said, “This has been a controversial decision because even though the Iranians argue this is a civilian bridge – and thus its destruction could constitute a war crime – US officials are saying that the bridge was being used to transport materials to help the Iranian military build drones that have been used in attacks against the US, Israeli, and other regional targets.”

Despite US President Donald Trump’s assertion that Iran’s missile programme had been dismantled after a month of joint US-Israeli strikes, intelligence assessments suggest Tehran still retains a substantial share of its missile-launch capabilities, CNN reported, citing sources.

The report said, nearly half of Iran’s missile launchers remain intact, while thousands of one-way attack drones are still part of its arsenal even after continuous strikes targeting military infrastructure over the past five weeks.

“They are still very much poised to wreak absolute havoc throughout the entire region,” one of the sources said as quoted by CNN.

Sirens blaring through Tel Aviv as residents warned of a strike towards Israel.

Iran and its allies traded fire with Israel and the United States, as Washington-linked assets across the Middle East were targeted alongside civilian infrastructure — with the month-long war on Friday showing little sign of easing.

Strikes have increasingly targeted economic and industrial sites, raising fears of wider disruption to global energy supplies and deepening the conflict’s impact beyond the battlefield.

As US-Israeli strikes destroyed Iran’s B1 bridge, Trump posted a clip saying, ‘The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again — Much more to follow! IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY’

After US-Israeli strikes hit Iran’s iconic B1 bridge, President Trump issues a fresh treath to Iran saying that US military hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran.

Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants! New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST! President DONALD J.TRUMP

More than 40 US allies convened on Thursday to discuss strategies for reopening the Strait of Hormuz amid the widespread global concern over the disruption to the key waterway caused by President Donald Trump’s war on Iran.

The UK convened nations from Europe, the Middle East and Asia, as well as Australia and Canada, to consider diplomatic outreach to Tehran and potential sanctions if it did not agree to unblock the critical shipping lane for global energy supplies.

The virtual meeting appeared intended to demonstrate the shared position of dozens of American allies that he should not walk away from the conflict without finding a solution for the strait, as the president has repeatedly threatened to do.

The international community was clear the US needed to include a solution for Hormuz in ceasefire talks with Iran, people familiar with the discussions said.

China’s permanent representative to the United Nations has expressed Beijing’s strong opposition to any proposals that would permit member states to undertake military action in the Middle East, Al Jazeera has reported.

Addressing the international body, Fu Cong stated that such an authorisation “would amount to legitimising the unlawful and indiscriminate use of force.”

Beijing’s formal stance at the UN reflects its broader diplomatic response to recent rhetoric from Washington. China on Thursday reacted to US President Donald Trump’s “bring them back to the stone ages” against Iran, stressing that escalation will not resolve the conflict, China Daily reported.

Elaborating on this position, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning emphasised that “military means cannot fundamentally solve any issue, and escalation of the conflict does not serve any party’s interest,” according to China Daily.