A U.S. fighter jet has been shot down over Iran, according to U.S. and Israeli officials as well as Iranian state-affiliated media, escalating already heightened tensions in the region.
A search-and-rescue operation is underway to locate two crew members. Officials say the pilot of the F-15E Strike Eagle ejected before the aircraft went down, but the condition and whereabouts of both individuals remain unknown. U.S officials are racing to recover the crew before Iranian forces can reach them.
An Iranian news anchor urged residents to hand over any “enemy pilot” to police and promised a reward for anyone who did.
An on-screen crawl earlier urged the public to “shoot them if you see them,” referring to social media footage circulating of what appeared to be U.S. aircraft in the area.
Iranian state-linked media outlets reported that helicopters were deployed to search for the downed jet’s crew, though there were conflicting accounts about their origin.
The Fars news agency said it was unclear who operated the aircraft, while Tasnim reported they were American and claimed at least one helicopter was forced to retreat after coming under fire. Tasnim also said a US C-130 Hercules aircraft was involved in the operation.
Mizan, an outlet affiliated with Iran’s judiciary, reported that an American rescue mission was active and published images it claimed showed U.S. aircraft in Iranian airspace.
Iranian officials called on civilians to be on the lookout for survivors, according to Reuters. The governor of Iran’s Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province said whomever captured or killed the crew “would be specially commended,” according to the semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA.
This is the first U.S. or Israeli jet to have been shot down over Iran since the war started. Three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle jets were downed by friendly fire over Kuwait in March. None of the aircrews were injured.
It comes as tension escalates between the United States and Iran. Over the past 24 hours, both sides have exchanged strikes targeting military and civilian infrastructure across the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened further escalation, warning of potential strikes on Iran’s energy grid if the strait is not reopened. Iranian officials have rejected negotiations under current conditions.
“Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!” he wrote on social media late Thursday. “New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!”
On Friday, Trump celebrated the bombing of an Iranian bridge, as he warned on social media that there was “much more to follow.” Footage showed the moment the B1 bridge in Karaj, west of Tehran, was cut in half by the strike on Thursday. The attack killed eight people and wounded 95, Iranian news media reported.
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