2 US Jets Shot Down, 2 Black Hawks Hit By Iran In Last 24 Hours As War Spirals, Read How Iran Downed Jets

4th April 2026 at 2:22 PM

2 minutes read

New York : The downing of two US warplanes in a single day has jolted the nearly five-week-long conflict with Iran, exposing fresh vulnerabilities and triggering a high-risk hunt for a missing American pilot believed to be on the run inside hostile territory. What unfolded over the past day marks one of the most punishing stretches for US air operations since the war began, with multiple aircraft hit, downed, or forced into emergency situations in rapid succession.

Rescue efforts themselves came under fire, with two HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters hit mid-mission, their crews managing to escape despite reports of injuries. The pressure extended across the fleet, as two A-10 Warthogs were struck – one crashing into the Gulf after the pilot ejected, while another limped back to base on a single engine. In the span of just hours, the skies over Iran and the Gulf turned into a high-risk combat zone, raising serious doubts about US control of the airspace and signalling a far more dangerous phase of the conflict ahead.

The aircraft, which carries two crew members, went down during combat operations. One crew member has been rescued, while the other remains missing, with search efforts ongoing. The incident marks the first confirmed loss of a US-piloted aircraft inside Iran since the war began on February 28. In a separate incident the same day, a US A-10 Warthog attack aircraft was hit and crashed over Kuwait.

The back-to-back incidents represent one of the most significant setbacks for US air operations since the conflict began. Efforts to locate the missing F-15E crew member have proven perilous.
Two US Blackhawk helicopters deployed for the search-and-rescue mission were themselves hit by Iranian fire but managed to exit Iranian airspace. The operation highlights the dangers of conducting recovery missions deep inside hostile territory, where even rescue teams are exposed to attack.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps has launched a search operation in the country’s southwest for the missing crew member. Authorities have gone further, urging civilians to report or capture the pilot, with a regional official promising rewards for anyone who captures or kills “forces of the hostile enemy”. Iranian political leaders have framed the moment as a turning point, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf saying the war had shifted “from regime change” to a hunt for US pilots.