Pakistan, April 4 -- The United States (US) and Iran launched parallel efforts on Saturday to locate and recover crew members from a downed US fighter jet, as the ongoing conflict between the two sides intensified across the region.

Iranian authorities claimed they had shot down an F-15 aircraft inside their airspace, while US media reported that American special forces managed to rescue one of the two crew members, with the second still missing. Tehran also said its forces downed an A-10 aircraft in the Gulf, though reports indicated the pilot was safely recovered.

The incident comes amid a widening conflict triggered by US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, prompting a broader regional escalation. The conf...