Downed US warplanes and a missing pilot have turned Washington’s air war over Iran into a high-stakes crisis for U.S. president Donald Trump. The U.S. military launched a search over southwestern Iran after an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down, with one crew member rescued and another missing.

The incident marks the first confirmed loss of U.S. aircraft over Iranian territory in a war now in its sixth week, which began on February 28.

Iran also claimed an A-10 Thunderbolt II was hit, though a U.S. official said the cause of the crash remained unclear.

Iranian state media urged civilians to hand over any “enemy pilot,” while authorities searched mountainous terrain in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province.

The Pentagon acknowledged “an aircraft being shot down” but released limited details, underscoring operational sensitivity. Trump said in an NBC interview the incident would not affect negotiations.

The conflict continues to widen geographically. An Iranian drone damaged the Dubai headquarters of Oracle, while earlier strikes hit Amazon Web Services facilities in the UAE and Bahrain.

At Iran’s Bushehr nuclear facility, an airstrike killed 1 security guard and marked the fourth strike on the site during the war.

In Dubai, officials described the Oracle damage as a “minor incident” caused by debris, with no injuries reported.

Iran signaled potential disruption of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a 32 km-wide corridor through which over 10 percent of global oil and a quarter of container shipping passes.

The Strait of Hormuz has already seen reduced flows, contributing to rising fuel prices and market volatility. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf questioned global reliance on the route, highlighting its strategic leverage.

The war has killed more than 1,900 people in Iran, alongside 13 U.S. service members, 19 in Israel, and over 1,300 in Lebanon, where more than 1 million have been displaced.

Despite escalation, Iran signaled openness to talks, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating they “have never refused to go to Islamabad.”

Mediators from Pakistan, Türkiye, and Egypt are working toward a ceasefire framework, including a temporary halt in hostilities.

The downing of multiple US aircrafts over Iran and the Gulf highlights growing operational risks and challenges claims of air superiority as the conflict enters its sixth week.

Iranian forces brought down a US F-15E two-seat strike fighter, with one crew member rescued and another unaccounted for, according to officials from both sides.

A separate A-10 Warthog was also hit by Iranian fire, with the pilot ejecting before the aircraft crashed in Kuwait. Two additional US airmen were rescued.

The incidents come despite assertions by President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that US forces had achieved control of the skies.

Two HH-60W Black Hawk helicopters dispatched to locate the missing pilot were themselves hit by Iranian fire but exited Iranian airspace. The extent of injuries to crew members remains unclear.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was searching a southwestern region for the downed pilot, while a local official promised rewards for capturing or killing “forces of the hostile enemy.”

Between April 2 and April 3, multiple US aircraft incidents were recorded. An F-15E was shot down, an A-10 was hit, and two HH-60W helicopters sustained damage during rescue operations.

Additional incidents included an F-16 declaring an emergency (7700) and landing safely, alongside 1–2 KC-135 refueling aircraft issuing emergency alerts, according to Evergreen Intel.

Iranian officials framed the incidents as a shift in momentum. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said the war had been “downgraded from regime change” to a hunt for pilots.

The missing pilot scenario raises political and military stakes for Washington, particularly amid limited public support for the war.

The war, which began on February 28, has killed thousands and 13 US service members, with more than 300 wounded, according to US Central Command.

Regional spillover continues, with Iran launching drones and missiles at Israel and Gulf states, including a strike on a power and water plant in Kuwait.

Oil markets reacted sharply, with US crude prices jumping 11% on Thursday.

President Trump signaled further escalation, writing: “Our Military… hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!”

US strikes have already targeted infrastructure, including the B1 bridge linking Tehran and Karaj, while Iran has struck energy facilities across the Gulf.

Restrictions imposed during the war with Iran have intensified tensions in Jerusalem’s Old City, where Palestinian Christians say access limits to holy sites reflect deeper patterns of control and mounting pressure on religious communities.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa was stopped by Israeli forces on Palm Sunday from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in what church officials described as the first such disruption in centuries.

After being turned back, he led a service outside the Old City. Israeli authorities later granted access to the church. Local residents, however, questioned the response. “He should have found a way,” said one shopkeeper. “If necessary, he should have prayed in the street.”

Israeli police cited missile threats linked to the war with Iran, noting debris damage in Jerusalem. Yet Palestinians argue the restrictions extend beyond security concerns, pointing to closures at Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan and Eid earlier this month.

East Jerusalem has been under Israeli control since 1967, a status widely regarded as illegal under international law. Critics say restrictions on movement and worship reinforce that control, particularly during religious holidays.

Beyond current closures, Christian leaders point to a documented rise in attacks. Reports by the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue recorded 111 incidents in 2024, including 47 physical assaults and 35 cases of vandalism targeting churches and clergy.

Incidents include repeated spitting on priests along the Via Dolorosa, an Armenian priest reportedly spat on more than 90 times in one year, and damage to sites such as the Church of the Flagellation and Mount Zion Cemetery.

Critics say enforcement has been inconsistent, with some officials downplaying incidents.

The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians warned that denying access to the Holy Sepulchre represents “a flagrant act of religious persecution,” linking it to broader pressures on Muslim and Christian custodians of holy sites.

Observers also point to perceived inconsistencies, noting that Jewish celebrations proceeded elsewhere in the city during the same period.

In the occupied West Bank, pressures extend beyond access restrictions. Reports cite attacks on Christian communities, including arson near the Church of St. George in Taybeh and destruction of olive groves, alongside intimidation that has led to displacement.

Data referenced by rights groups shows patterns of violence between December 2023 and February 2024 across Plateau-like conflict zones – though here tied to land disputes, movement restrictions, and settler activity affecting Palestinian Christians.

Church leaders from multiple denominations warn these conditions, combined with limited accountability, risk accelerating emigration and eroding the historic Christian presence in the region.

Residents described an Old City largely emptied during Easter week, a period that typically draws large crowds. “There are no celebrations,” said one resident. “At this time of year the city should be crowded.”

Security forces remained visible across entry points, with checks, patrols, and restricted access shaping daily life around the Holy Sepulchre and surrounding areas.