Negotiations to reach a ceasefire in Iran have reached a dead end after Tehran officials called U.S. demands unacceptable and conveyed that they won't meet with Washington counterparts in Islamabad in the coming days, according to a new report by The Wall Street Journal.
Around the same time, Iranian defense official Ali Akbar Ahmadian said in a social media post that Tehran will "neither retreat under threats nor be swayed by clamor and empty shows."
"This region is our playing field, and responses are based on rational and realistic calculations, not Hollywood-style theatrics," the official added. He went on to say that the country's goal will be "expelling the U.S. forces "from the region."
War-related headlines on Friday also include ongoing search and rescue efforts for two pilots of an F-15 fighter jet downed in Iran earlier today. One of them has been located and safely evacuated, while forces continue looking for the second pilot. Israeli TV station Channel 12 reported that both members ejected safely but got separated. The pilot has been rescued and the navigator has made contact as well but is still being searched for.
Iranian media reported on the shooting hours prior, initially calling on citizens to help find the pilots and "shoot them as soon as you see them." It then changed the directive, offering a reward to anyone who finds the pilots.
The incident is taking place in the Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, some 300 miles southwest of Tehran.
Several videos posted on social media show what appear to be U.S. aircraft over the area conducting search and rescue missions.
It is the first time since the beginning of the war that a U.S. jet is downed by enemy fire. Describing the terrain, AP noted that police and security services have a small presence in the rural region where the pilots may have ejected, which span almost 6,000 square miles. It is home to about 600,000 people, most of whom are farmers.
