ALBAWABA- A U.S. fighter jet was shot down over Basra in southern Iraq as the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran continues to intensify across the region, according to Iraqi sources.
Local authorities in Basra said police units were deployed to search for an American pilot after witnesses reported seeing an aircraft struck during military operations linked to Iran’s ongoing retaliatory attacks. Some local media outlets claimed Iraqi security forces may have captured the pilot, though these reports remain unconfirmed.
The U.S. military’s regional command, United States Central Command (CENTCOM), said it is investigating the incident but has not confirmed the loss of any aircraft.
If verified, the event would represent the fifth reported U.S. aircraft loss in the region since hostilities escalated. Earlier footage released by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) purported to show a U.S. fighter jet being shot down, with unconfirmed reports suggesting U.S. and Israeli forces carried out an airborne operation to rescue the pilot.
🚨🇮🇷🇮🇶🇺🇸 BREAKING and UNCONFIRMED
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 5, 2026
A U.S. fighter jet reportedly shot down over Basra, Iraq. Basra police confirming they've dispatched units to search for an American pilot.
Not yet confirmed by CENTCOM. But Iraqi police don't deploy search teams for nothing.
If confirmed,… https://t.co/3xQd29t6Qt pic.twitter.com/WFizX7bMwN
On March 2, three F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft were accidentally shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in a friendly-fire incident while supporting the U.S. military campaign known as Operation Epic Fury. All six crew members reportedly ejected safely.
The latest reports come amid Iran’s ongoing retaliatory campaign, dubbed Operation True Promise 4, launched after the February 28 airstrikes that assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
In related developments, Iranian missile strikes targeted energy facilities in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, causing limited fires but no reported casualties. Meanwhile, U.S. naval forces reportedly sank an Iranian frigate in the Indian Ocean, killing more than 100 sailors.
The widening conflict has pushed global oil prices higher and raised fears of a broader regional war, as diplomatic efforts at the United Nations seek to contain the crisis.
