NPR News: 04-03-2026 11PM EDT

This NPR News Now update from April 3, 2026, leads with a serious military incident involving two U.S. Air Force combat planes near Iran, alongside domestic developments on airport security, voting policy challenges, job growth, NASA's Artemis II mission, and a college basketball upset.

U.S. Planes Shot Down Near Strait of Hormuz

Two U.S. Air Force combat planes were shot down today in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. One plane had a single crew member rescued by U.S. forces in the strait. The other, a two-seater jet, saw one crew member rescued in southwestern Iran, with U.S. forces still searching for the second. Iranian state media released photos of debris and what appears to be an empty ejection seat. Social media videos, including two verified by NPR, depict American helicopters and planes flying low over southwestern Iran, about 150 miles from the Iraq border—deep inside Iranian territory. These visuals underscore the risks of the incident and ongoing U.S. rescue efforts in hostile airspace, heightening tensions in the strategically vital strait.