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The Iranian army confirmed that its air defense systems shot down a U.S. A-10 "Warthog" attack plane on Friday over Iran's southern waters near the Strait of Hormuz, with the aircraft crashing into the Persian Gulf, reported Xinhua. The announcement, published on the army's website, came shortly after Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said that it had downed a U.S. F-35 fighter jet in central Iranian airspace earlier in the day. Later Friday, Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency reported that a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter was also hit by a projectile in Iranian airspace while searching for the pilot of the downed U.S. fighter jet. The United States has not officially commented on Iran's claim yet. Meanwhile, earlier on the day a second US fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet was struck and downed over central Iran by a modern air-defence system of the Islamic Republic's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with officials saying the pilot is unlikely to have ejected, reported ANI, quoting Iranian state media on Friday. 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. "A second US fifth-generation F-35 was struck and downed over central Iran by a new IRGC Aerospace Force air-defence system. Given the massive explosion on impact and during the crash, the pilot is unlikely to have ejected," Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters Spokesman stated as quoted by Press TV. The same claims were made by the Central Headquarters of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), as reported by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), stating that the advanced stealth aircraft was shot down by the IRGC's modern air defence system from the Lakenheath squadron. "The second US F-35 fifth-generation fighter jet was hit and crashed in the central Iranian sky by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' modern air defence system from the LAKEN-HEATH squadron. Due to the severe explosion of the fighter jet upon impact and fall, it is unlikely that the pilot ejected," PBUH stated as reported by IRIB. Earlier, on March 19, Iran claimed to have become the first nation in the world to strike a US F-35 Lightning 2, one of the most valuable US aircraft and the backbone of the US's fifth-generation warfighting capabilities. Meanwhile, Israel's Channel 12 News and other Israeli media outlets on Friday reported that the pilot of the U.S. fighter jet that was shot down in Iranian airspace was safely rescued, reported Xinhua. The outlets added that the fate of the navigator who was on the jet was unknown. The channel also reported that the Israeli military has canceled strikes in the area in Iran, where searches are being conducted for the navigator, citing a senior Israeli official. Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported that Israel is assisting the United States with intelligence in locating the jet's crew. Meanwhile, American and Israeli fighter jets struck multiple strategic and civilian targets inside Iran's capital on Friday afternoon, including Shahid Beheshti University, one of the country's leading academic institutions, reported ANI, quoting Iranian state media. The strikes mark yet another escalation in the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict. According to IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting), air raids hit Shahid Beheshti University in the Velenjak district of northern Tehran as well as Mehrabad International Airport in the western part of the city, causing damage to infrastructure and academic facilities. At the time of reporting, details on casualties and the extent of the destruction had not been independently verified. The university, established in 1960 and named after prominent revolutionary figure Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti, is a major centre for research and higher education in Tehran and has been a hub for thousands of students and faculty. The reported attacks on educational institutions come days after a series of US-Israel strikes targeted other key civilian and research facilities, including the Pasteur Institute of Iran -- a century-old biomedical research and public health institution. Iran's health ministry said the airstrike on the Pasteur Institute in central Tehran caused severe damage, labelling the incident a "direct assault on international health security" and a violation of international law. In reaction to the strikes on health infrastructure, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged international bodies to respond, writing on social media platform X: "What message does attacking hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and the Pasteur Institute ... as a medical research centre in Iran convey?" He called on the "World Health Organisation, the International Federation of Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and physicians worldwide to respond to this crime against humanity." Meanwhile, U.S. officials confirmed Friday that two U.S. rescue helicopters involved in the search and rescue efforts for an F-15 fighter jet downed earlier on Friday were struck by Iranian fire, according to U.S. media reports, said Xinhua. Iranian attacks damage UAE's major aluminium producer's site Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) said on Friday that its Al Taweelah site, one of the world's largest aluminium production complexes, sustained significant damage from recent Iranian missile and drone attacks, forcing the facility to halt operations, reported Xinhua. The company said the site, located in the Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was affected by the attacks launched from Iran on March 28, with injuries reported. According to EGA, the complex, including the smelter and casthouse, power plant, Al Taweelah alumina refinery and Al Taweelah recycling plant, was fully evacuated, and the facilities were placed in emergency shutdown. The company said early assessments indicate that a full recovery of primary aluminium production could take up to 12 months. The Al Taweelah smelter produced about 1.6 million tonnes of cast metal in 2025, according to EGA. Netanyahu claims 70% of Iran's steel production capacity destroyed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday shared operational updates from Iran and Lebanon and informed that Iran's 70 per cent steel production capacity has been destroyed, reported ANI. He highlighted that there is full coordination between the US military and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). He also thanked the citizens of Israel for their steadfast support. He made the remarks in a video message which was shared by the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel. "Together with our American friends, we are continuing to crush the terrorist regime in Iran. We are eliminating commanders and bombing bridges and infrastructure. In recent days, the Air Force has destroyed 70 per cent of Iran's steel production capacity", Netanyahu said. Calling it a "tremendous achievement", the Israeli PM said that it deprives the IRGC of "both funding sources and the ability to produce large quantities of weapons". He further noted that in full coordination between him and President Trump, the IDF and the US military, they would continue to "crush Iran". Iran rejects U.S. proposal for 48-hour ceasefire Iran has rejected a U.S. proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Friday, said Xinhua. The proposal was delivered to Iran through a "friendly" country on Thursday, Fars quoted an informed source as saying. The source added that Washington has stepped up its diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire, particularly after an Iranian strike targeted a U.S. "military forces depot" on Kuwait's Bubiyan Island. According to Fars, assessments suggest that the proposal was put forward following an intensification of the crisis in the region and "serious problems" for U.S. forces resulting from their country's "miscalculation" of Iran's military capabilities. The report added that Iran's response to the offer was not given in writing, but through the continuation of attacks in the battlefield. Trump says downing of US jet will not affect Iran talks US President Donald Trump has asserted that the destruction of an American military aircraft will have no bearing on diplomatic discussions with Iran, according to a report by NBC News, reported ANI. Dismissing the notion that the event would impede negotiations, the President stated, "No, not at all. No, it's war. We're in war." These remarks represent the leader's first public response to the loss of an American plane during the hostilities, occurring as combat actions and diplomatic initiatives proceed simultaneously. Trump refused to elaborate on the particulars of the "search-and-rescue efforts," noting the delicate nature of the matter, and expressed dissatisfaction with how the press has reported on the "complex and active military operation." Amidst this diplomatic friction, Tehran has intensified its military claims. Iran asserted it downed an American A-10 aircraft near the Strait of Hormuz, according to Al Jazeera, citing the Tasnim news agency. The report stated the "aircraft was targeted in waters south of and around the strategic waterway," though the "claim could not be independently verified." The "A-10 is a US ground-attack aircraft designed for close air support missions," particularly against ground forces. In a related development, American forces successfully retrieved a crew member from a US fighter jet brought down over Iran, according to CNN. The individual is reportedly alive, "in US custody and receiving medical treatment." While one person has been recovered, the fate of the second crew member remains uncertain as "search and rescue operations were ongoing." Technical details confirmed the downed plane was an "F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet," typically operated by a two-person team. 1 killed, 4 injured in UAE gas facility incident The United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities confirmed on Friday that two fires broke out at the Habshan gas facilities in Abu Dhabi after debris fell from a successful air defense interception. The incident resulted in one Egyptian national being killed during the evacuation of the site. Four others sustained minor injuries, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office. Emergency teams quickly brought the fires under control. Officials reported that the facilities suffered significant damage, and a full assessment of the site is ongoing. The development came amid heightened regional tensions following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on Feb. 28. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets. On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East.
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