As a peace deal between the US and Iran remains in the balance, reports about a US Air Force aircraft purportedly going missing over the Strait of Hormuz have triggered concern.
Early Friday, a report from the flight-tracking platform FlightRadar24 went viral on social media. It purportedly showed a US Air Force E-3G Sentry aircraft disappearing from the radar after transmitting an emergency code. The location of the aircraft was near the Strait of Hormuz.
The FlightRadar24 data and the emergency code 7700 transmission were covered by Russian broadcaster RT News. It showed that the plane was at an altitude of 19,275 feet with a ground speed of 852 km/h when it activated the emergency transponder code. Shortly after, the flight allegedly went off the radar.
The US Central Command has not confirmed if any E-3G Sentry was indeed shot down. Nonetheless, speculation went wild on social media that the aircraft was shot down, possibly by Iran, amid the conflict over the Strait of Hormuz.
Ht.com can confirm that there is no verified report that a US Air Force E-3G Sentry plane, manufactured by Boeing, was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz.
The Boeing E-3G Sentry AWACS aircraft is one of the US Air Force's prized assets. Bought for over $270 million each in 1998, the USAF has 31 of them in its inventory. It is used as a flying command-and-control center across different US Air Force bases.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran "would love to make a deal" with the US but "they are not ready for it." He told reporters that the US is currently observing how the talks with Iran develop in the coming days, indicating that there is still no clear end to the conflict in sight. The 79-year-old asserted that US has "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz.
"It just means that we're seeing what happens," Trump said. "We have total control of that entire region having to do with the Strait of Hormuz, and that means well into it, the land areas. So, they would love to make a deal, but they're not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion."
Additionally, Trump also threatened "unprecedented levels" of economic sanctions on Iran. He threatened sanctions on Iran's partners and promised to bring about what he described as an "Economic D-Day" in the country.
Shamik is a journalist covering the United States for Hindustan Times. He has more than four years of experience reporting on US politics, sports, and major breaking stories across fast-moving cycles. He previously worked at Times Now and Sportskeeda, building strong newsroom instincts and digital storytelling skills. At HT.com, he focuses on day-to-day coverage of US political developments while also handling high-impact stories that demand speed, accuracy, clarity, and context under pressure. Shamik has extensive experience covering NFL game days over the past two years, coordinating live updates, analysis, and explainers. He is particularly drawn to large news moments such as US elections and the Super Bowl, where he thrives at the news desk working alongside the team. He holds degrees in Media Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia and English Literature from Jadavpur University. Before entering journalism, he briefly worked in digital marketing and political consultancy roles. Currently a Senior Content Producer at HT Digital, he is driven by curiosity, discipline, and a constant desire to explore new and obscure topics. Outside work, he enjoys reading, films, sports, and learning continuously.Read More