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Iran downs US F-15E and claims it has shot down Black Hawk chopper; one pilot has been rescued, tensions escalate as strikes continue, raising major military and diplomatic concerns
Iran has claimed that it shot down a US UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter on Friday (April 3), just hours after reports emerged that Iranian forces had downed an F-15E fighter jet. The helicopter was reportedly targeted near the Iranian border while on a rescue mission to recover a pilot from the downed aircraft. The Black Hawk is commonly used for special operations, troop transport, and combat search-and-rescue missions in hostile zones.
The downing of the F-15E marked the first such incident in five weeks of ongoing conflict, according to US and Israeli officials. A rescue operation managed to recover one of the two crew members, while the fate of the second remains unclear. These incidents present serious military and diplomatic challenges for the United States. In recent days, President Trump has warned that Iran could be bombed “back to the Stone Ages'. Over the past 24 hours, both sides have continued exchanging strikes on military and civilian infrastructure across the region.
Meanwhile, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency has reported that a US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire had been rejected, citing an unnamed source. Earlier this week, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said that Tehran will only agree to a permanent end to the war, not a temporary ceasefire.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations, and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.