US EditionU.S. Conducting Rescue Operation After Jet Went Down Over Iran: Report
U.S. forces are searching for two crew members after Iranian media said a fighter jet was downed, while officials have not confirmed the claim.
- On Friday, April 3, 2026, a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle went down over Iran, prompting U.S. officials to confirm the loss and launch a search-and-rescue operation for the two-person crew.
- This incident follows five weeks of conflict during which Iranian forces have made at least six prior false claims about shooting down U.S. aircraft, according to U.S. Central Command.
- Published images of debris, including an ejection seat, match an F-15E Strike Eagle, contradicting Iranian state media claims that an F-35 stealth fighter was destroyed.
- Iranian state media urged the public to capture the crew, promising a "precious prize," as U.S. forces deployed HC-130J Combat King II aircraft to locate the missing airmen.
- The first known combat loss of a manned U.S. aircraft during Operation Epic Fury escalates regional risks, complicating diplomatic efforts to resolve the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
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US authorities have not yet confirmed the incident. The rescue operation for the second US fighter pilot is still ongoing.
In the images spread by Iranian media
A-10 Warthog attack aircraft landed near the Strong at the same time as an F-15E Air Force was attacked over Iran. Still, the United States and Israel attacked a university in Tehran.
US Military Searching For Pilot After Fighter Jet Shot Down Over Iran
Source: NurPhoto / Getty A search-and-rescue mission is underway after a U.S. fighter jet was shot down over Iran. NBC News reports that the shot-down F-15E fighter jet was a two-seater aircraft, and one of the crew members has already been safely recovered. Nour News, an outlet associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, said the jet “was destroyed in the skies over central Iran by a new advanced air defense system of the IRGC Aerospace F…
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