Iran war LIVE: US special forces enter Iran to rescue jet pilot as choppers hit

The White House said it will ask Congress to approve a record-breaking $1.5 trillion (£1.13 trillion) defence budget for the 2027 fiscal year.

If approved, the budget would be a 42% increase from the previous year and the highest in modern US history.

The Office of Management and Budget said the request would cover dozens of military ships, including a new series of heavily armed US Navy Trump-class battleships.

Donald Trump's national security team is briefing him regarding search operations for the F-15 in Iran, a White House official told NBC News.

The US President has been working in the Oval Office and the adjacent Oval dining room since this morning, receiving regular updates on the situation.

Two US military helicopters have been struck by Iranian fire while participating in the search and rescue mission for the F-15, a US official told NBC News.

All service members are safe, they added.

Donald Trump told NBC News that the US F-15 fighter jet being shot down doesn't affect negotiations, but refused to discuss the search and rescue mission.

Asked if today's events will affect any negotiations with Iran, he said: "No, not at all. No, it's war. We're in war."

The second pilot now faces a "race against the clock" as an urgent rescue mission is launched.

Read more here.

A second US Air Force plane crashed today, this time near the Strait of Hormuz, two US officials told the New York Times.

They said the A-10 Warthog pilot was safely rescued following the crash, which reportedly happened around the same time as the F-15 went down.

Iran has rejected a US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire, Fars news agency has reported, citing an anonymous source.

The country officially told mediators it's not willing to meet US officials in Islamabad in the coming days, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Iran's foreign minister previously said it would only accept a permanent end to the war, not a temporary ceasefire.

Iran has "claimed victory" over the downing of a US F-15 fighter jet, an expert has said, as the rescue mission continues.

Middle East commentator Tara Kangarlou said Iranian state media was quick to "jump on the story" and "claim victory" over their adversary.

She told Sky News: "What we know is that the Iranian regime thrives on propaganda and thrives on any chance it has to claim a victory, whether small or big, against the United States and Israel. For them, this is a big story. They're really all over it."

Israel has postponed some of its planned strikes in Iran while the search for the missing pilot continues, an Israeli official told CNN.

The pilot that has been rescued is now undergoing medical treatment, two US officials confirmed to Newsmax.

They did not know the status of the second pilot.

Footage showing US warplanes over Iran matches typical search and rescue mission manoeuvres, CBS national security analyst Aaron MacLean says.

The footage seems to show US aircraft flying at low altitudes in broad daylight, which he said was something the US would only do if it had a good reason.

One of the two US pilots in the F-15 fighter jet that went down in Iran has been rescued alive by US forces, two US officials told NBC News.

A crew member from the downed fighter jet has been rescued by US forces, two US officials told CBS News.

The governor of the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province said the priority is "capturing" any downed US crew "alive".

He said: "Those who succeed in capturing or killing hostile enemy forces will be specially commended by the Governor’s office."

A US F-15 went down over Iran, two US officials told NBC News.

The two-seater plane went down over the country on Friday, but the officials didn't say how it went down.

The US military is now conducting a search and rescue operation.

The search is under way for the downed US F-15 fighter jet, which crashed in southern Iran, two sources told CBS News.

Images verified by the outlet show a refuelling plane and two helicopters flying over Khuzestan Province - believed to be the rescue mission.

It's not known how many crew members were on board.

A US fighter jet has been shot down over Iran, a US official told Reuters, adding that a search is under way for the pilots.

This report would confirm previous Iranian media reports claiming a F-35 jet had been downed on Good Friday.

Aviation experts analysing pictures circulating online of an alleged wreckage suggest they belong to a F-15 rather than a F-35.

A vote by the United Nations Security Council on a resolution concerning the Strait of Hormuz has been delayed until Saturday,

Speaking to the BBC, UN spokesperson said the vote had originally been scheduled for Friday at 11am local time, or 3pm GMT, but was no longer listed on the UN website.

The spokesperson said the decision to postpone the vote was made by council members.

Israeli strikes have wiped out around 70 percent of Iran’s steel production capacity, according to Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a video posted on social media, Netanyahu described the damage as a "tremendous achievement" and claimed it had deprived the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of both financial and military resources.

He said: "In full co-ordination between me and President Trump, between the IDF and the United States military, we will continue to crush Iran.”

Netanyahu also said Israel was continuing to “hit Hezbollah in the shin".

Iranian state TV has reportedly urged people in a rural province southwest of Tehran to look for a US fighter pilot after Tehran claimed it shot down an American warplane on Friday.

According to the Associated Press, a local channel in Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province said a US pilot had ejected from their aircraft over southwestern Iran.

An anchor reportedly told viewers: “If you capture the enemy pilot or pilots alive and hand them over to the police, you will receive a precious prize.”

The same channel is said to have initially urged viewers to “shoot them as soon as you see them” if they spotted Americans, before later changing the message and instead asking for co-operation with police.

It has been claimed that American forces are also looking for the pilots, however this is yet to be verified.

Tasnim reports that US helicopters, planes and reconnaissance drones are involved in the search.

Washington has previously denied similar Iranian claims about downed US aircraft, but the Associated Press said this is the first time Iran has gone on television asking the public to hunt for a suspected American pilot.

The US hasn't yet commented on Iran's latest claim.

Donald Trump has suggested on his socila media platform, Truth Social, that with more time the US could reopen the Strait of Hormuz, seize oil supplies and profit heavily from it, describing it as a potential "gusher for the world".

The UAE said its air defences intercepted 18 ballistic missiles, four cruise missiles and 47 drones launched from Iran on April 3.

Since Iran’s attacks began, the UAE says it has intercepted a total of 475 ballistic missiles, 23 cruise missiles and 2,085 drones.

The attacks have killed two members of the armed forces, one Moroccan civilian contractor working with the military and nine civilians of various nationalities. A further 203 people have been injured.

The Ministry of Defense said it remains on high alert and ready to respond to any threats against the country’s security and stability.

An Iranian ballistic missile slammed into Petah Tikva this evening, causing major damage to industrial buildings and leaving a huge crater near a residential area.

Footage from the scene showed the blast struck between a housing estate and the city’s industrial zone, with the force of the explosion smashing nearby buildings.

Despite the scale of the damage, no injuries have been reported.

UAE authorities said falling shrapnel in the Ajman area, after an interception by air defences, injured 12 people.

Those hurt included six Nepalese nationals with minor to moderate injuries, five Indian nationals with minor to moderate injuries, and one Nepalese national who suffered serious injuries.

Ajman is one of the seven emirates of the UAE and is around 30 to 40-minute drive away from Dubai.

According to Euronews, a French-linked cargo ship has become the first Western European vessel to cross the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran war began in late February.

The Maltese-flagged CMA CGM Kribi, owned by French shipping giant CMA CGM, sailed eastbound from waters near Dubai on Thursday and travelled through the approved shipping corridor between Qeshm and Larak islands.

Euronews reported that the vessel had remained in the Gulf since early March before making the crossing, which is believed to have been coordinated with Iranian maritime authorities.

The ship is thought to be heading towards Pointe Noire in the Republic of the Congo as part of a route linking India, the Gulf and Africa.

Sir Keir Starmer has spoken with High Highness the Crown Prince of Kuwait following the overnight drone attack on a Kuwaiti oil refinery.

During the call, Starmer condemned the attack and said the UK stood with Kuwait and its Gulf allies. The pair discussed the deployment of the UK’s Rapid Sentry air defence system to Kuwait to help protect both Kuwaiti and British personnel and interests in the region, while aiming to avoid a wider conflict.

They also discussed disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and welcomed a meeting led by the Foreign Secretary on plans to reopen the key trade route.

Both leaders agreed to remain in close contact in the coming weeks.

The Abu Dhabi Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Centre has confirmed fallen deris from succesfully intercepted missilies in the Abjan area.

Iran has shared photos of the alleged downed F-35 jet.

This is the second time in two days that Iranian media has made a similar claim.

US Central Command denied claims yesterday Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) downed an "enemy" fighter jet over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US military has yet to officially comment on the latest Iranian claim.

Authorities in Abu Dhabi are responding after shrapnel fell at the Habshan gas facilities following what officials described as a successful air defence interception.

Operations at the site have been suspended while emergency teams deal with a fire caused by the incident. Officials said no injuries have been reported.

Authorities have urged the public not to spread rumours and to rely only on official sources for updates.

The National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority has just announced its dealing with more missile threats.

It urged reisidents to remain in a safe place and follow the warnings and updates on official websites.

Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity and Water said one of the country's power generation and water desalination stations was attacked, causing material damage to parts of the facility.

The ministry said technical and emergency teams were immediately deployed under emergency plans to deal with the incident and maintain services.

Israeli Ministry of Health said that since the start of Operation Roaring Lion, 6,594 casualties have been taken to hospitals in Israel.

As of 7am on Friday, 125 people were still in hospital, including two in critical condition, 14 seriously injured, 24 in moderate condition and 79 with minor injuries. One person was being treated for anxiety and five others were still being assessed.

At least eight civilians were killed and 95 others injured after US and Israeli strikes hit Iran’s B1 Bridge in Karaj, near Tehran.

The bridge, regarded as the tallest in the Middle East, was split in half after being struck twice.

The bridge was a major route linking Tehran with Karaj and northern Iran, helping cut traffic and transport goods. US officials reportedly viewed it as an important supply route for missiles and drones, making it one of the most significant pieces of civilian infrastructure hit since the conflict began.

Donald Trump claimed responsibility for the strike and warned Iran there was “much more to follow” if Tehran did not agree to a deal

Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, said the risk of NATO breaking apart, sanctions on Russia being eased, Europe facing an energy crisis, aid to Ukraine being stopped and Hungary blocking a loan for Kyiv all appear to fit into Vladimir Putin’s "dream plan".

Human remains have been discovered following last month’s attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Thai shipping firm Precious Shipping.

The remains were reportedly found in the damaged area of the vessel M.V. Mayuree Naree, which Iranian news agency Tasnim News Agency previously reported had been struck by unknown projectiles.

The Royal Navy of Oman rescued 20 crew members after an explosion at the rear of the ship caused a fire in the engine room, but three people were reported missing.

Precious Shipping said it has not yet been confirmed how many people the remains belong to. 

Penny Wong, Australia’s foreign minister and a Labor senator for South Australia, said Iran is using the Strait of Hormuz to put pressure on other countries, which is pushing up fuel and energy prices worldwide.

She said poorer communities are being hit hardest by the rising costs, and Australia has joined other countries in condemning Iran’s actions.

Finland's president, Alexander Stubb said he had spoken with Iranian presient Masoud Pezeshkian about the situation in Iran and the wider Middle East, stressing that an urgent ceasefire and diplomatic solution are needed.

He also called for an end to strikes on neighbouring countries and urged the restoration of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, adding that dialogue must continue despite disagreements.

US Central Command dismissed on Thursday a report that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had shot down an “enemy” fighter jet over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

It added all American fighter aircraft had been accounted for and accused the IRGC of making the same false claim multiple times before. 

A post on the IRGC-linked Fars News Agency Telegram channel said the aircraft was "completely destroyed and crashed", adding that there was no information on the pilot because of the extent of the damage.

Iran’s Mehr News Agency said it was unlikely the pilot had managed to eject due to the “violent explosion” caused by the crash.

This claim comes a day after a similar claim was made by Iranian media on Thursday. The US military denied yesterday's Iranian report. 

A spokesperson for Saudi Arabia Ministry of Defence has confirmed it intercepted six drones in the past few hours. 

Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery was hit by a drone strike in the early hours of this morning, sparking fires in several operating units.

According to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), emergency crews and firefighters quickly launched response plans to bring the fires under control and stop them spreading further.

Trump said the US military had "not even started" destroying what remains of Iran, warning that bridges and power plants could be targeted next unless Iran’s new leadership acts quickly.

National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority in the UAE has confirmed the UAE is currently intercepting missiles. 

Its urged residents to remain in a safe location and follow official channels for warnings and updates.

Welcome to our live blog. We'll bring you the latest on the conflict in Iran.