Iran Claims New Air Defense System Downed US Jet

A U.S. rescue mission successfully retrieved a pilot after an American F-15E fighter jet was shot down over southwestern Iran, according to U.S. and Israeli officials. The incident marks the first confirmed loss of a U.S. aircraft inside Iranian territory during the ongoing conflict, now in its fifth week. The jet, which typically carries a crew of two, was downed by Iranian air defenses, though the exact cause remains unverified. Iranian state media claimed the jet was shot down by a new air defense system, while U.S. officials confirmed the rescue operation. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied responsibility for an attack on a Kuwaiti desalination plant, blaming Israel instead, which denied involvement. Meanwhile, Iran targeted Gulf infrastructure, including a Kuwaiti oil refinery, amid broader regional hostilities. Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif proposed a ceasefire plan, emphasizing the need to end the conflict. The U.S. has presented its own 15-point ceasefire proposal, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices surged as markets reacted to the escalating tensions.