India, April 3 -- Two American jets and a Black Hawk helicopter were downed by Iran on Friday, Iranian reports claimed, even as the US launched search operation to rescue pilots in the Iranian territory.

The latest comes even as the United States scrambled jets and helicopters after its official confirmed that Iran downed a fighter jet over the country.

The New York Times, citing US officials confirmed that a US fighter jet was shot down over Iran on Friday. The fate of the plane's crew was not known even as American forces launched a search and rescue operation to trace any survivors, before Iran could get them.

While the Iranian media reports said to have downed a US F-15E fighter jet, hours after taking down US fifth-generation F-35...