U.S. fighter jet downed in Iran

One crew member was rescued Friday after a U.S. fighter jet went down in Iran, MS NOW reported.

The U.S. was searching for the second member of the F-15 aircraft’s crew, and the whereabouts of the second servicemember were unknown, according to MS Now, which cited two U.S. officials. It isn’t clear if the plane was shot down or went down for another reason, MS NOW said.

The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command didn’t immediately comment. President Donald Trump has been briefed on the U.S. aircraft going down and the search for the crew, a White House official said.

The New York Times said Iran shot down the fighter jet, citing U.S. and Israeli officials and Iranian state media, though MS NOW said it hadn’t independently verified the reporting.

It appeared to be the first known loss of a U.S. jet in the country since the war in Iran started in late February.

The downing of the jet comes at a delicate time, when the U.S. has showed few signs of slowing its assault on Iran and reports of potential peace talks did not yield a breakthrough. The death toll from the conflict is nearing 5,100 across the Middle East, according to MS NOW.

The war has now gone on for more than a month, suffocating tanker traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz and threatening supplies of crude oil, fertilizer and other key commodities.

Trump claimed in a social media post Friday that with more time, the U.S. could “easily” open the strait, “TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE.”

Trump also threatened late Thursday to escalate attacks on Iranian infrastructure. He said the U.S. “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran,” citing bridges and electric power plants.

In remarks Wednesday, Trump said the U.S. would attack Iran “back to the Stone Ages.”