As Operation Epic Fury enters its 35th day, the conflict between the United States and Iran has escalated dramatically — with Tehran claiming to have shot down a second American F-35 stealth fighter, Trump threatening to obliterate Iran’s civilian infrastructure, and a UN Security Council vote on the Strait of Hormuz hanging in the balance.
Friday, April 3rd has brought a torrent of breaking developments. Here’s everything you need to know about the latest chapter in the rapidly expanding Middle East conflict.
Iran Claims Second F-35 Shootdown — Pentagon Denies
In what would be a stunning blow to American air superiority if confirmed, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Friday that its “advanced air defense system” destroyed a second U.S. F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter over central Iran. Iranian state media reported that the pilot was unlikely to have survived.
This marks the second time Tehran has claimed to down the $80 million fifth-generation stealth jet during the 35-day conflict. Iran previously claimed an F-35 kill on March 23rd. The Pentagon has denied Friday’s claim, though the U.S. military did confirm last month that an F-35 conducted an “emergency landing” after a combat mission over Iran — language that raised eyebrows among defense analysts.
Separately, SOF News reported that crash debris found earlier on April 3rd may indicate a downed USAF F-15E Strike Eagle, a two-crew aircraft, though analysts cautioned that Iran has “spread false info on downed aircraft throughout the past 30 days.”
If even one shootdown is confirmed, it would represent a historic first — the F-35 has never been confirmed lost to enemy fire in combat — and could send shockwaves through the global defense industry.
Trump Celebrates Bridge Destruction, Threatens Power Grid
President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric to new heights on Thursday night, posting video of a U.S. strike that cut Iran’s B1 (Bileghan) Bridge — connecting Tehran to the city of Karaj — clean in half.
“The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again — Much more to follow!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY!”
Iranian officials reported eight people killed and 95 wounded in the bridge strike. The B1 bridge was a major infrastructure project scheduled to open to traffic this year.
But Trump wasn’t done. In a follow-up post, he threatened far more devastating attacks: “Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!”
The threat drew immediate condemnation. Tom Fletcher, the UN’s Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, accused the president of potential war crimes.
“War is not a game show; peace making is not a real estate deal; the world is not a casino,” Fletcher said, deploring what he called the “reckless” nature of the conflict.
Kuwait Oil Refinery Hit — Regional Chaos Spreads
Iran’s retaliatory strikes continued to pound Gulf nations on Friday. Iranian drones struck Kuwait’s Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery, the third attack on Kuwaiti territory since the war began, sparking fires at the facility. No injuries were reported.
Kuwait has been hit particularly hard in recent days. Iranian strikes have targeted power infrastructure and — critically — water desalination facilities. An alarming 90% of Kuwait’s drinking water comes from desalination, making these strikes a direct threat to the civilian population.
Hezbollah has also ramped up operations, launching over 70 missile attacks targeting northern Israel and Israeli positions in southern Lebanon. The Houthis joined the fray on March 28th and have now launched four separate ballistic missile barrages at southern Israel, including one on April 1st that wounded 14 people near Tel Aviv, including an 11-year-old girl.
Zarif Floats Peace Deal — But With a Sting
In a surprising development, former Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif — the architect of the 2015 nuclear deal — published a peace proposal in Foreign Affairs magazine on Friday. While Zarif holds no official position, he was instrumental in getting reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian elected and would not have published without approval from senior regime figures.
Zarif’s proposal: Iran would “place limits on its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an end to all sanctions.” He framed it as a deal “Washington wouldn’t take before but might accept now.”
However, the proposal came wrapped in barbs. Zarif insisted Iran “is clearly winning” the war and called Trump’s close advisor Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner “completely illiterate on both geopolitics and nuclear technicalities” — language unlikely to endear him to the White House.
UN Security Council Showdown Over Hormuz
The UN Security Council is set to vote on a Bahrain-backed resolution that would authorize nations to use “all defensive means necessary” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for shipping. Traffic through the strait has plummeted by 90% since the war began, triggering a global energy crisis with oil prices topping $108 per barrel.
The resolution has support from Arab Gulf states, but faces potential vetoes. Iran has warned the UN against authorizing any “defensive force” in the strait, which Tehran views as leverage.
The stakes could not be higher. The Hormuz blockade has sent fuel prices soaring worldwide — Pakistan hiked petrol prices to record levels this week, and European economies are bracing for sustained energy shocks.
Military Buildup Continues
The Pentagon is significantly reinforcing its Middle East presence:
- 18 additional A-10 Warthogs are deploying to the region for counter-drone missions, joining 12 already in theater
- The USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) has sailed from Norfolk to replace the USS Gerald R. Ford, which suffered a laundry-room fire during combat operations
- Two new EA-37B “Compass Call II” electronic warfare jets are en route from the UK to CENTCOM
- The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit has arrived, with the 11th MEU en route
- B-52H bombers fully loaded with 2,000-pound JDAMs continue operating from RAF Fairford, England
Meanwhile, the European divide over the war is widening. Spain has closed its airspace to U.S. combat aircraft. Italy has joined Spain in limiting U.S. use of airfields. Austria has denied American combat aircraft overflight permission since the start of the war.
Trump responded to allied resistance by threatening to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine and floating the idea of leaving NATO.
The Human Cost
As of Day 35, the confirmed toll continues to climb:
- 13 U.S. service members killed, with hundreds wounded
- At least 50 civilians killed across Gulf nations from Iranian retaliatory strikes
- 17 killed in Israel from Iranian and proxy attacks
- 8 killed, 95 wounded in the Karaj bridge strike alone
- Over 12,300 targets struck inside Iran by U.S. and Israeli forces since the start of Operation Epic Fury
Iran’s nationwide internet blackout has now entered its 35th consecutive day, making independent verification of casualties inside the country nearly impossible.
What Comes Next
Trump said during his primetime address on April 1st that the war could conclude “within the next two to three weeks.” But the trajectory tells a different story — infrastructure strikes are escalating, regional proxies are expanding their attacks, and Iran shows no signs of capitulating.
The coming days will be defined by the UN Hormuz vote, whether Washington confirms or denies the latest F-35 claims, and whether Zarif’s peace proposal gains any diplomatic traction — or dies on arrival thanks to its incendiary language.
One thing is clear: Day 35 of Operation Epic Fury has made the war bigger, not smaller.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.