US-Israeli war on Iran day 36: Manhunt for missing US pilot inside Iran

The US-Israeli war on Iran enters its 36th day, with a manhunt for a missing US pilot on Iranian soil.

An F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down by Iranian fire in the first known instance of a US fighter jet being downed inside Iran since the start of US-Israeli attacks on February 28.

In addition to the two-seat US F-15E jet, a second plane, an A-10 Warthog fighter aircraft, was hit by Iranian fire and crashed over Kuwait, with the pilot ejecting, according to officials. So far, the status and whereabouts of the missing F-15E crew member have not been made public.

The two incidents show the risks still faced by US and Israeli aircraft in the Middle East despite assertions from President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that their forces have total control of the skies.

Two Blackhawk helicopters involved in the search effort for the missing pilot were also hit by Iranian fire but made it out of Iranian airspace, two US officials told Reuters.

The IDF has canceled strikes in the area where searches are being conducted for the missing pilot, Israel's Channel 12 reported Friday.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was combing an area near where the US pilot's plane came down in southwestern Iran and the regional governor promised a commendation for anyone who captured or ​killed the pilot.

Referencing the loss of the US jet, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on X that the ​US and Israel's war had been "downgraded from regime change" to a hunt for their pilots.

The prospect of an American service member being alive and on the run inside Iran raises the stakes for Washington in a conflict with low ​public support and no sign of ending.

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 66% of respondents believe the US should work to end its involvement in the Iran war quickly, even if the administration's original goals are not fully achieved.

Iran has officially told mediators it is not prepared to meet with US officials in Islamabad in coming days and that efforts to produce ​a ceasefire, led by Pakistan, have reached a dead end, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Tehran has rejected a US offer for a 48-hour ceasefire, Iranian semi-official Fars news agency reported on Friday.

The proposal was delivered to Iran through a "friendly" country on Thursday, an informed source was quoted as saying by Fars.

According to Fars, assessments suggest the proposal followed an intensification of the crisis in the region and "serious problems" for US 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.

Earlier Saturday, the Israeli military announced that it had detected a new wave of missiles launched directly from Iranian territory, prompting the activation of multi-layered defensive systems to intercept the incoming threats as Tehran sustains its relentless retaliatory campaign against the country.

The ongoing conflict, which has recently witnessed intensified strikes on civilian infrastructure, has killed thousands and threatened lasting damage to the global economy.

So far, 13 US military service members have been killed in the conflict and 365 have been wounded, according to Pentagon.

Iran has rained drones and missiles down on Israel. It has also taken aim at Gulf countries allied to the US, which have so far held back from joining the war directly for fear of further escalation.

In a security alert on Friday, the US embassy in Beirut said Iran and its aligned armed groups may target universities in Lebanon and urged US citizens in the ​country to leave while commercial flights are still ​available.

Israel has been waging a parallel campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon after the militant group fired at Israel in support of Iran.

(With input from agencies)