'We are at war': Donald Trump's first reaction after Iranian forces shot down a US fighter jet
US President Donald Trump told NBC News on Friday that the downing of a US fighter jet would not affect negotiations with Iran, in a first reaction after Iranian forces downed an F-15E fighter jet, a first since the start of the war launched by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic on February 28. The White House leader also refused to provide details about the ongoing search and rescue operation.
Asked if today's events would affect negotiations with Iran, Trump said: “No, not at all.”
“No, it's war. We're at war,” the US president continued, according to SkyNews and CNN.
It is the first reaction of the American president after the incident, as the search operations continue for one of the two pilots.
Trump also posted a vague message about oil on Truth Social: “Keep the oil, anyone?”
In another post, made on Friday morning, he suggested that the US could “easily” reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a reversal of position after previously saying that other states were responsible for securing the sea route.
“With a little more time, we can easily open the Strait of Hormuz, take the oil and make a fortune,” Trump wrote.
The first American warplane shot down by the Iranians
On Friday, Iranian forces shot down an F-15E fighter jet, a first since the start of the war launched by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic on February 28.
One of the two crew members was rescued, but the condition of the other serviceman on the plane is currently unknown, according to US and Israeli officials.
CBS News reported, based on images on social media that it was able to independently verify, that a refueling plane and two U.S. military helicopters were flying at low altitude in Iran's southwestern Khuzestan province, making maneuvers consistent with search-and-rescue missions.
Also Friday, a US A-10 Warthog attack plane crashed in the Persian Gulf region, and the pilot, the only person on board, was rescued, two US officials told The New York Times.
