A US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over Iran on Friday, marking the first downing of an American aircraft since the conflict began nearly five weeks ago. One crew member has been rescued, while the second remains missing amid a frantic search operation, US officials confirmed.
Iranian state media initially claimed an F-35 had been downed by a new air defence system, but aviation experts identified wreckage shown in footage as belonging to an F-15E from the US Air Force's 494th squadron, based at RAF Lakenheath in the UK. Images of the tail fin and other debris matched markings typical of Strike Eagles stationed in Britain.
The rescue effort, believed to be high-risk, involved a C-130 Hercules and an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter, which were seen refuelling mid-air over southwestern Iran. Geolocated footage placed the aircraft near Behbahan in Khuzestan province, roughly 30 miles from the Gulf coast. An Iranian businessman offered a $60,000 reward for capturing the crew, and a local TV presenter urged residents to hand over any 'enemy pilot' to police.
President Donald Trump was briefed but said the incident would not affect negotiations with Iran. 'No, not at all. It's war. We're in war,' he told NBC News. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported that Tehran had rejected a US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf mocked the US on social media, asking if they could find their own pilots.
Separately, a US A-10 Warthog attack plane crashed near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, according to two US officials. The lone pilot was safely rescued. Earlier, Iran's Tasnim news agency claimed the F-15E pilot had been taken into custody, contradicting an initial assertion that he had likely died. No US troops have been taken prisoner thus far.
