Main developments
A second US warplane, an A-10 attack jet, was lost on Friday near the Strait of Hormuz, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Earlier a US F-15E fighter jet had been shot down over Iran, according to people familiar with American military operations. One crew member was rescued but the fate of the other remained unknown.
Iran offered a “valuable reward” for the capture of the jet’s crew. Earlier state television reported that “an advanced fighter jet” had been shot down by the Revolutionary Guards.
An Iranian drone attack has sparked multiple fires at the Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery in Kuwait, damaging one of the largest refineries in the region.
Abu Dhabi said it had suspended operations at Habshan, its biggest gas facility, after it was hit by debris from a thwarted attack.
A French-owned container ship has sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz, the first western European-owned vessel known to have done so since the war in effect closed the strategic waterway.
Donald Trump said the US could “easily” open the Strait of Hormuz with “a little more time”. His remarks came after he issued a new threat to attack Iranian infrastructure, warning that the US military “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left”.
The US International Development Finance Corporation has doubled the size of its maritime reinsurance plan to $40bn with the addition of six new commercial insurance companies.
A-10 pilot rescued as second US warplane downed on Friday
A second US warplane was lost on Friday during the war against Iran, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The pilot of the A-10 attack jet was rescued, one of the people said.
The A-10 went down near the Strait of Hormuz, the other person said, although the circumstances surrounding its loss were not immediately clear.
A-10s have been attacking Iranian targets around the strait for weeks. They are also a standard component of US search-and-rescue operations.
One crew member from downed US jet rescued
One crew member from the downed F-15 has been rescued, according to a person familiar with US military operations and a congressional aide.
US Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, has notified the House armed services committee that one service member has been recovered and is in US hands, a congressional aide said.
The status of the fighter jet’s second crew member “remains unknown”, the aide said.