Trump rages ‘THIS IS WAR’ as he breaks silence on fighter jet humiliation in Iran | World | News

He declined to discuss details of the search and rescue effort for a crew member believed to be missing, but the US President expressed frustration with the coverage of any military operations, with videos widely disseminated on social media. Asked directly whether shooting down the jets would affect negotiations, he replied: “No, not at all. No, this is a war. We are at war.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the US President was informed about the incident before 17:00 ET today.

Although this was Mr. Trump’s first public response directly referencing the incident, he posted on the social media platform Truth Social, “Oil, anyone keep it?” Around 20.15 UK time.

Iranian media reported that authorities were offering a reward of 10 billion tomans (about £50,000) for anyone who captured a downed US crewman alive.

The first reports of the fighter jet being shot down came around 3pm on Friday, and sources reportedly confirmed that a search and rescue operation was ongoing. CBS reported that the F-15 was shot down around 11:45 a.m. ET.

US officials, including Mr Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have raised questions about today’s events, repeatedly saying Iran’s air defense capabilities were destroyed during the conflict.

The exact location of the incident and the circumstances surrounding the downing of the jet remain unclear. However, the southern provinces of Khuzestan and Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad, a key oil region, are frequently mentioned in Iranian state media.

Footage shared widely on social media showed a US plane flying low around the state, which experts said would be consistent with a search and rescue mission.

Two US planes involved in the rescue mission also came under fire, according to two US officials who spoke to CBS.