Day 35 of Operation Epic Fury Brings Deepening Cracks in Western Unity — and a Downed American Warplane
The Iran war just entered its most consequential 24 hours yet — and it’s not just about what’s happening over Tehran. It’s about what’s falling apart in Brussels.
As Day 35 of Operation Epic Fury unfolds on April 3, 2026, two seismic developments are reshaping the trajectory of the conflict: Iran has shot down a US fighter jet over Iranian territory, and the NATO alliance is teetering on the edge of collapse as European allies openly defy Washington’s demands for military cooperation.
The 76-year-old Western military alliance — the bedrock of the post-World War II international order — has never been weaker, according to Reuters, analysts, and diplomats briefed on the deteriorating situation.
US Fighter Jet Downed Over Iran — Search and Rescue Underway
In a dramatic escalation, Iranian state media claimed on April 3 that Iranian air defenses shot down a US fighter jet flying over Iranian territory. The New York Times confirmed the shootdown, citing US officials and Iranian state-affiliated media.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the US military was actively searching for a pilot “of a fighter jet that was attacked by the Iranian armed forces this morning.” Photos published by Tasnim purported to show wreckage of the downed aircraft.
While Iranian state media initially claimed the aircraft was an F-35 stealth fighter, open-source analysts suggest the wreckage appears to be an F-15 fighter jet, likely from the 48th Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom.
Peter Layton, a visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia, told NBC News: “I think the structure looks like an F-15 and from the tail flash stripe markings from the 48th Fighter Wing.”
The Pentagon, US Central Command, and the White House have not publicly commented on the claims. According to the Associated Press, a channel affiliated with Iranian state television broadcast news of the pilot’s location in Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province — a rural, mountainous region spanning over 15,500 square kilometers.
The US has reportedly rushed to launch a search and rescue operation before Iran could reach any survivors. The fate of the crew remains unclear.
If confirmed as an F-15 loss, this would mark a significant moment in the air campaign — proving Iran’s air defense capabilities remain potent despite five weeks of sustained bombardment targeting the country’s military infrastructure.
NATO Alliance in Its ‘Weakest State Since Creation’
While the military drama unfolds in Iranian skies, the geopolitical fallout is reaching a critical mass thousands of miles away in Europe.
Reuters reported on April 3 that the Iran war has “nearly broken the 76-year-old bloc and threatens to leave it in its weakest state since its creation.” Analysts and diplomats describe an alliance in freefall, torn apart not by a threat to its own borders, but by a US-Israeli military campaign in the Middle East that most European members refuse to support.
The fractures are stark:
- Austria has denied American combat aircraft permission to fly over its territory since the war began on February 28
- France, Germany, and the UK have distanced themselves from the military campaign, with British PM Keir Starmer explicitly opposing the offensive
- Japan, South Korea, and Australia — key Indo-Pacific allies — have also refused to join US-led attacks on Iran
- The USS Gerald R. Ford, one of two US aircraft carriers deployed for the campaign, is currently anchored off Split, Croatia, for repairs after a noncombat fire on board
President Trump has responded with fury. On Truth Social, he called NATO a “paper tiger” and said he is “strongly considering” pulling the United States out of the alliance entirely.
“We’ve had some very bad allies in NATO,” Trump told reporters. “Hopefully, we’re never going to need them. I don’t think we will need them.”
The Washington Post described the situation as a widening “trans-Atlantic rift” — the worst in the alliance’s history. Former US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith told WBUR that this crisis represents “the latest crack in a rupture between NATO allies in Europe and Trump over the war in Iran.”
Trump Doubles Down: ‘Hit Them Extremely Hard’
Just two days after his primetime address from the White House on April 1 — in which he declared Operation Epic Fury was “nearing completion” — President Trump has been escalating his rhetoric rather than pulling back.
In his first primetime speech since the war began, Trump told the nation: “Tonight, I’m pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion. We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks.”
He also issued a stark warning to Tehran: if there is no deal, “we are going to hit each and every one of their electric [infrastructure targets]” — a threat that legal experts say could constitute targeting civilian infrastructure, which would be a serious violation of international law.
On April 3, Trump posted on Truth Social: “With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE. IT WOULD BE A ‘GUSHER’ FOR THE WORLD.”
The Strait of Hormuz: The War’s Economic Chokepoint
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz — through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas normally transits — shortly after the war began on February 28. The closure has triggered a global fuel crisis, with energy security concerns now compounded by fears of food shortages due to fertilizer supply disruptions.
A bid to use force to reopen the strait hit roadblocks at the UN Security Council, with a proposed resolution facing a veto threat. Trump has attempted to shift responsibility for resolving the Hormuz situation to NATO and EU allies — the same allies he’s simultaneously threatening to abandon.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Iran has signaled that it intends to maintain its ability to disrupt shipping in the strait even after the war ends, using it as leverage to deter future US and allied actions.
The Broader Battlefield: Day 35 in Numbers
As the conflict enters its sixth week, the scale of the campaign is staggering:
- 12,300+ targets struck inside Iran by US forces since February 28, according to CENTCOM
- Bileghan Bridge connecting Tehran and Karaj destroyed on April 2, cutting a key missile supply route
- IDF strikes hit approximately 15 weapons production sites, including an advanced missile production complex on April 1
- Iran launched over 20 missiles targeting Israel between April 1-2, with 14 people wounded near Tel Aviv including an 11-year-old girl
- Houthi forces have launched their 4th ballistic missile attack on southern Israel since entering the conflict on March 28
- 1,345 killed in Lebanon since March 2, according to the health ministry — highlighting how the conflict has spilled across borders
What Comes Next?
The next two to three weeks will be decisive. Trump has set an implicit deadline for military objectives, even as the situation on multiple fronts grows more complex, not less.
Iran’s proven ability to shoot down advanced American aircraft — whether an F-35 or F-15 — demonstrates that Tehran’s military capabilities are far from neutralized. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed. NATO is fracturing. Oil prices continue to climb. And Houthi forces in Yemen have opened yet another front.
The question is no longer just whether the US can achieve its stated military objectives in Iran. It’s whether the geopolitical order that has underpinned Western security for three-quarters of a century can survive the attempt.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as the situation evolves.