Iran’s military said Friday (April 3, 2026) it had downed a second U.S. jet in the Gulf, state TV reported, after an F-15 fighter had crashed in the country’s southwest. “An American A10 aircraft was hit by the air defence systems of the Army’s Air Defence Force and crashed into the Persian Gulf,” broadcaster IRIB reported, citing the military. Also read: What Trump’s speech says about his war on Iran | AnalysisEarlier in the day, one crew member was rescued on Friday (April 3) after an American aircraft was shot down in Iran, according to one U.S. and one Israeli official, who both spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive ongoing military operations. Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli strikes have destroyed about 70% of Iran’s steel production capacity, significantly hindering its ability to manufacture weapons. 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.

Source: The Hindu April 03, 2026 13:26 UTC