'We're In War': Trump Says Downing of US Military Jet Won’t Derail Iran Negotiations
In his first public reaction to the downed plane, the US President acknowledged the loss even as military strikes and peace talks proceed on parallel tracks.
New Delhi: With the conflict in West Asia showing no signs of abating, US President Trump issued his first comments following the loss of a U.S. fighter jet, asserting that the incident will not impact ongoing diplomatic discussions with Iran.
Dismissing the notion that the event would impede negotiations, the President stated, "No, not at all. No, it's war. We're in war."
These remarks represent the leader's first public response to the loss of an American plane during the hostilities, occurring as combat actions and diplomatic initiatives proceed simultaneously.
Trump however refused to elaborate on the particulars of the "search-and-rescue efforts," noting the delicate nature of the matter, and expressed dissatisfaction with how the press has reported on the "complex and active military operation."
What has Tehran claimed?
The incident marks a significant escalation in the intensifying aerial conflict between the United States and Iran, with Tehran claiming that it downed an advanced American F-35 stealth fighter and captured its pilot.
An Iranian strike downed a US F-15E Strike Eagle, a multi-role aircraft, forcing its two-person crew to eject.
While U.S. special forces successfully extracted one survivor from Iranian territory, the fate of the second crew member remains unknown as both nations launch competing recovery efforts, with Tehran even offering civilian rewards for their capture.
Around the same time, a separate incident occurred in the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz involving an A-10 Warthog. Although the lone pilot was safely recovered, reports vary on the cause, with some sources claiming the aircraft was hit by Iranian fire before crashing in Kuwait.
Iran mocks US
In the wake of a string of aerial strikes and mounting speculation on the ground, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has also ridiculed the United States over its ongoing efforts to locate a missing crew member following the downing of an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet.
Taking to the social media platform X, Ghalibaf suggested that the mission objectives of the US had drastically diminished. He wrote, "After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from 'regime change' to 'Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?" Continuing his sarcastic critique, the parliamentary leader added, "Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses."
This high-level political taunting comes amidst broader claims from Tehran regarding US aerial losses. The Iranian military has asserted that its forces also successfully targeted and downed a US A-10 aircraft, according to news reports .
This claim follows separate media reports indicating that a second combat aircraft belonging to the US Air Force had crashed in the Middle East on Friday, significantly heightening regional tensions.
No ceasefire?
Meanwhile, negotiation attempts to secure a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran have collapsed. According to news reports, the diplomatic process reached a stalemate after Tehran declined to participate in scheduled discussions.
“Current mediation efforts led by regional countries, including Pakistan, to broker a ceasefire between the United States and Iran have reached a dead end,” the report said, underscoring a sharp setback in diplomatic attempts to ease tensions.
Tehran has formally notified mediators that it will not participate in the upcoming talks with U.S. representatives in Islamabad. Per The Wall Street Journal, the Iranian government has rejected Washington's current terms, labeling them as “unacceptable.”
Published By : Amrita Narayan
Published On: 4 April 2026 at 07:01 IST