IRGC hunting US pilots in Iran after a fighter jet was shot down

A U.S. F-15 fighter jet was shot down over central Iran yesterday, confirmed U.S. officials, marking a dramatic escalation in the five-week-old conflict that has already shaken global energy markets.

A search is currently underway for the crew, but details remain scarce.

The incident occurred just hours after President Donald Trump warned of further attacks on Iranian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, following U.S. strikes that damaged the newly constructed B1 bridge between Tehran and Karaj.

Trump declared on social media, “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!”

In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps vowed to target “all assets of the Israeli regime and the U.S. in fuel, energy, economic centers, and power plants across the region” and called for American forces to be expelled from host nations.

🚨🇮🇷🇺🇸 BREAKING:

Iranian state media Tasnim is reporting Iranian forces have captured the American pilots.

If confirmed, the US just lost an F-15E and its crew inside Iran, the first American POWs of this war.

Every decision Trump makes in the next 24 hours just got… https://t.co/9SOsZqXTwv pic.twitter.com/7kDMOPlSUV

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 3, 2026

The downing of the aircraft and the escalating strikes have driven oil and gas prices higher. Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz gives Tehran leverage over roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, and governments and businesses worldwide are bracing for further disruption.

Analysts warn that without a swift resolution, the conflict could draw in additional regional actors and prolong instability, while domestic opposition in the U.S. grows amid mounting casualties and economic strain. President Trump insisted, “Iran’s leadership knows what has to be done and has to be done, FAST!”

The unfolding crisis leaves international leaders weighing the balance between military escalation and diplomacy, as the world watches anxiously for the next move.