US President Donald Trump has asserted that the shooting down of US military jets will have no bearing on diplomatic discussions with Iran. According to media reports, President Trump dismissed the notion that the event would impede negotiations with Iran. These remarks represent his first public response to the loss of American planes during the hostilities, occurring as combat actions and diplomatic initiatives proceed simultaneously.

Two US ​war planes were downed over Iran and the Gulf, Iranian and US officials said yesterday, with two pilots rescued and a third still missing and being searched ‌by Tehran’s forces. The incidents show the risks still faced by U.S. and Israeli aircraft over Iran despite assertions from US President Donald Trump and his Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that their forces had total control of the skies. The first plane, a two-seat US F-15E jet, was shot down by Iranian fire, officials in both countries said. The second plane, an A-10 Warthog fighter aircraft, was hit by Iranian fire and crashed over Kuwait, with the pilot ejecting, two US officials said.

Two Black Hawk helicopters involved in the search effort for the missing pilot were hit by Iranian fire but made it out of Iranian airspace, the officials said. The degree of injuries among the crew of the aircraft remained unclear. The status and whereabouts of the missing F-15E crew member were not publicly known. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was combing an area where the pilot’s plane came down in southwestern Iran, and the regional governor promised a commendation for anyone who captured or killed forces of the hostile enemy.