Iran says it has shot down US fighter jet

This episode of the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service covers escalating tensions in the Middle East following Iran's claim that it shot down a U.S. fighter jet over western Iran. While the Pentagon has not confirmed the incident, unnamed U.S. officials suggest a search is underway for the crew, and open-source intelligence points to the wreckage being from an F-15E Strike Eagle. The attack comes amid intensified U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian infrastructure, including a major bridge linking Tehran to Karaj and a historic health center, drawing sharp condemnation from UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, who labeled such actions as potential war crimes. Iran retaliated with missile strikes on Kuwait’s power and desalination plants and oil refineries, raising fears of regional destabilization and humanitarian catastrophe. The conflict has also triggered global economic ripple effects, with Pakistan increasing fuel prices by 77% due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Elsewhere, the podcast examines Burkina Faso’s leader abandoning democratic promises and escalating human rights abuses, and South Sudan’s deepening humanitarian crisis, with over 540 unaccompanied children and widespread destruction of health and education infrastructure. In a lighter note, researchers at Harvard reveal new insights into octopus mating behavior, uncovering the sensory role of a specialized arm used by males to locate and fertilize females without visual cues.