This is the first confirmed incident of a US fighter jet being shot down inside Iran since the current conflict began. Reports indicate that one crew member of the downed F-15 was rescued by the US, while another remains in search and rescue operations; two US search and rescue helicopters were hit, with no injuries reported; Israel postponed some strikes to avoid interfering with the rescue mission; Turkey and Egypt are still pushing for US-Iran negotiations, considering a new venue and proposals; Qatar has refused to act as a mediator.
Iran claims to have struck a US A-10 attack aircraft in the airspace near the Strait of Hormuz, while US media reports the aircraft crashed in the vicinity of the strait. Other US media outlets say it did not crash and the pilot ejected safely. Iranian officials have encouraged civilians to pursue the US pilots; the speaker of Iran's parliament sarcastically remarked that the war had been downgraded from an attempt at 'regime change' to 'finding the pilot.'
On Friday, April 3, the military strikes initiated by the United States and Israel against Iran entered their 35th day, with the latest round of mediation efforts for a ceasefire encountering setbacks.
According to Xinhua News Agency citing US media on Friday, Iran has officially informed the mediators that it does not wish to meet with US officials in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, in the coming days, explicitly stating that Washington’s ceasefire demands are unacceptable.
This indicates that Pakistan’s efforts to mediate between the two nations have failed. On the same day, Qatar also informed US officials that Doha has no intention of serving as the lead mediator or spearheading a ceasefire agreement, further undermining the already fragile diplomatic efforts.
Pakistan mediation fails, Qatar refuses to act as mediator
According to US media reports on Friday, mediators revealed that the latest round of efforts led by Pakistan, with participation from several Gulf states, to broker a ceasefire between the US and Iran, has currently reached a deadlock. Iran has formally notified the mediators that it does not wish to meet with US officials in Islamabad in the coming days, stating that Washington’s demands are unacceptable.
CCTV mentioned that previously, Israeli officials disclosed that multiple countries were attempting to coordinate talks between the Speaker of Iran's Islamic Consultative Assembly, Kalibaf, and US Presidential Envoy Witkof, Trump’s son-in-law Kushner, and US Vice President Pence in Islamabad.
In another report by US media on Friday, Qatar, long considered the primary communication channel between Tehran and Washington, informed US officials last week that it has no intention of acting as the chief mediator or leading the effort to achieve a ceasefire agreement.
Doha’s rejection is a response to pressure from Washington and regional countries, which urged Qatar to play a central role in the negotiations.
The report cited informed officials and mediators saying that Qatar had informed US officials last week that it was unwilling to play a central role in the mediation process, further increasing uncertainty over the prospects of the negotiations.
Diplomatic sources noted that given Doha's unique position as a trusted intermediary between the two parties, Qatar's withdrawal represents a significant setback. With Islamabad and Doha stepping back, the pool of potential mediators has been considerably narrowed.
Turkey and Egypt enter the scene, prompting a reshuffle in the mediation landscape.
According to reports by CCTV citing U.S. media, Turkey and Egypt are still striving to advance the negotiation process and considering Doha, the capital of Qatar, or Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, as potential new negotiation venues.
Analysts believe that although Doha is the capital of Qatar, in diplomatic mediation, Turkey and Egypt consider Doha to possess well-established negotiation facilities and political neutrality, hence the proposal to designate Doha or Istanbul as alternative negotiation sites instead of Islamabad.
It has been reported that the two countries are also exploring more flexible approaches in an effort to persuade both the U.S. and Iran to return to the negotiating table. However, these efforts are being made amidst an increasingly challenging backdrop.
The conflict has resulted in substantial casualties and economic losses, with growing calls from the international community for a ceasefire. Amid the ongoing restructuring of the mediation framework and unresolved core differences between the parties, there remains significant uncertainty regarding when the ceasefire process can be restarted.
Editor/Melody