US–Israel war on Iran, day 36: Two US planes shot down as the conflict intensifies
Aircraft incidents raise pressure on US forces as Iran continues strikes across the region
Highlights
Israel says striking Hezbollah sites in Beirut
The Israeli military said Saturday it had begun striking "Hezbollah infrastructure" in Beirut after it destroyed a bridge in eastern Lebanon to prevent the Iran-backed group's reinforcements from crossing.
An AFP journalist heard two loud explosions in the capital within half an hour early Saturday and saw smoke billowing from one of them.
Local media reported two strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, a locality that has been a target of Israeli strikes in recent days as the military presses on with its ground invasion in the country's south.
US reports 365 service members wounded in Iran war
As of Friday, 247 of the wounded were Army soldiers, 63 were Navy sailors, 19 were Marines and 36 were Air Force airmen, according to Pentagon data available online.
It is unclear if the data includes any of the service members involved in the downing of two combat aircraft reported Friday.
Most of the wounded — 200 — were also mid to senior enlisted troops, 85 were officers and 80 were junior enlisted service members.
The current death toll remains at 13 service members killed in combat.
Bahrain postpones vote on UN resolution
Bahrain, which holds the presidency of the UN Security Council this month, postponed the vote on a resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz that had been watered down significantly because of opposition from Russia and China, two UN diplomats said.
The diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because council consultations have been private, said the vote will now be held sometime next week.
The Bahrain-sponsored draft resolution that had been expected to be put to a vote on Saturday would authorise defensive measures — not offensive action that Gulf nations and the United States initially supported — to ensure vessels can safely transit the waterway where one-fifth of the world’s oil typically passes.
Bahrain has sought support from all 15 council nations, and the postponement of the vote indicates that the watered-down draft is still not acceptable to Russia and China.
Debris from aerial interception hits Dubai Internet City building
Authorities responded to a minor incident in Dubai Internet City after debris from an aerial interception fell on the facade of the Oracle building, the Dubai Media Office said.
Officials confirmed that there were no injuries and the situation was quickly brought under control.
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Debris from aerial interception hits Dubai Marina building
Authorities responded to an incident in Dubai Marina after debris from an aerial interception struck the facade of a building, the Dubai Media Office said. Officials confirmed that the situation was brought under control, with no reports of injuries or fire.
French, Japanese ships cross Hormuz for first time since war
A French-linked vessel has crossed the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the US-Israeli war effectively choked the vital artery of global trade more than a month ago.
The Malta-flagged container ship, owned by French shipping giant CMA CGM, made the transit, according to BFM TV — also owned by the company — though CMA CGM itself declined to comment.
Data firm Kpler says it is the first ship tied to a major Western European operator to pass through the strait since the conflict began.
Tehran has maintained that “non-hostile vessels” may still use the waterway, but repeated attacks on commercial shipping have all but frozen normal traffic.
Tracking data shows the vessel stayed unusually close to Oman’s coastline— keeping distance from Iranian waters — as it navigated the narrow passage. Its cargo remains undisclosed.
A separate Japanese liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier also successfully exited the strait, with shipping firm MOL confirming all crew and cargo were safe and reiterating that safety remains its top priority, CNN reported.
Maritime intelligence outlet Lloyd’s List noted that several ships making the passage adopted similar tactics, hugging Oman’s coast “unusually close” as they moved through one of the world’s most strategically sensitive chokepoints.
Kuwait engaged 9 missiles, 26 drones in past 24 hours
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defence announced that Kuwait's air defence systems have detected and engaged nine missiles, seven ballistic and two cruise, in the last 24 hours on Friday amidst the current regional military escalation.
The spokesman added that the army bomb disposal squad responded to 22 reports.
Status of a second service member unknown after F-15E shot down
The House Armed Services Committee has been notified by the Pentagon that the status of a second service member is not known after the downing of the fighter jet.
The panel was told that an F-15 was shot down and one service member has been recovered, according to a congressional aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose the private communication.
The other service member’s duty status is unknown, the aide said.
That generally means the Defence Department does not know the person’s whereabouts and they have gone missing.
Trump says downed US jet won’t affect Iran talks
President Donald Trump told NBC News that the recent downing of a US fighter jet would not impact any negotiations with Iran, while declining to comment on the ongoing search and rescue mission.
“No, not at all. No, it’s war. We’re in war,” Trump said in a brief phone interview.
On Truth Social, he posted cryptic messages about oil, including: “KEEP THE OIL, ANYONE?” Earlier Friday, he suggested the US could “easily” reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a shift from his previous stance that other countries were responsible for clearing the waterway.
“With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE,” Trump wrote.
Second US aircraft went down
A second US Air Force combat aircraft went down in the Middle East on Friday, according to a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military situation.
It was not clear if the aircraft crashed or was shot down or whether Iran was involved. Neither the crew’s status nor where the aircraft went down was immediately known.
The New York Times earlier reported that the second aircraft went down.
Also Friday, a US fighter jet was shot down in Iran and one crew member was rescued.
