Global News Podcast Iran says it has shot down US fighter jet
6 snips
Apr 3, 2026 
Caroline Davies, BBC Islamabad correspondent, tracks fuel price spikes in Pakistan. Katie Watson, BBC reporter in Doha, covers Gulf damage and a subdued Holy Week in Jerusalem. Mikey Kay, BBC News presenter and military aviation analyst, digs into Iran’s claimed downing of a US jet. Also: threats to desalination plants, food inflation, and the mystery of octopus mating.
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Open Source Clues Point To A Downed US F 15E
- Open-source analysis suggests Iran may have downed a US F-15E near the Iraqi border, though Washington had not officially confirmed it.
- Mikey Kay matched tail-fin markings to a 494th Fighter Squadron jet and said rescue aircraft were reportedly searching for likely-ejected crew.
Desalination Plants Have Become A Critical War Vulnerability
- Iranian strikes on Gulf energy and desalination sites show how this war threatens basic civilian survival, not just military assets.
- Katie Watson says about 90% of regional drinking water comes from desalination, making attacks on plants potentially render parts of the Gulf unlivable quickly.
Civilian Infrastructure Is Becoming A Central Battlefield
- Strikes on bridges, health centres and power sites are intensifying fears that all sides are abandoning core protections for civilians.
- UN officials and residents reacted after a major Iranian bridge project was hit, while Tom Fletcher said targeting schools, ambulances, energy sources and bridges amounts to war crimes.