*As Iran Urges Civilians to Hunt Down Americans
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An American F-15E Strike Eagle — a two-seater fighter jet that costs approximately $100 million — has been shot down over southern Iran, two U.S. officials confirmed. The aircraft appears to have been shot down by Iran, and the American military immediately launched a search and rescue operation for those on board.
The incident marks the first time a U.S. jet has been downed by enemy fire since the start of the war, now more than a month old and into its 35th day. It represents a major escalation in the conflict and adds to doubts over American-Israeli claims of dominance over Iran’s skies.
Iranian state media published photos alongside claims from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that it had shot down the aircraft. The Pentagon and the White House did not immediately comment on the Iranian claims.
Nour News, an outlet linked to the Revolutionary Guard, claimed the jet was destroyed by Iran’s own advanced military technology.
“The jet was destroyed in the skies over central Iran by a new advanced air defence system of the IRGC Aerospace Force.”
Iranian media released images showing debris as well as ejector seats from the downed F-15E. The regime has previously made a series of false claims about shooting down piloted U.S. planes, but this was the first time state media called on the public to actively search for suspected American pilots, suggesting the regime believed the incident was genuine.
Iran had claimed previously to have struck American military planes during the war, but the U.S. had not confirmed any such incidents prior to this.
Responding to photos published by outlets in Tehran, one expert identified the aircraft as an F-15 based on its structure.
“Structure looks like an F-15. From the tail flash stripe markings from the 48th Fighter Wing, based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom.”
The base at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, eastern England, and RAF Feltwell in the neighbouring county of Norfolk host the 48th Fighter Wing, comprising some 7,000 active-duty personnel and four squadrons of F-15 Strike Eagles and F-35A Lightning II fighter jets. It is the largest U.S. fighter operation in Europe and has been a key hub of American activity heading to the Middle East.
An American fighter pilot has been rescued by U.S. forces after being shot down behind enemy lines, two U.S. officials confirmed. The rescue mission followed hours of reporting by Iranian state media of a downed U.S. fighter jet.
However, a second crew member from the two-seater F-15E Strike Eagle remains missing. The American military was conducting a search for the missing crew member in what is an intensely rural and mountainous region of southwestern Iran.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the incident, describing it as the latest dramatic development in the war.
In a chilling development, Iranian state media called on civilians in the rural and mountainous region of southern Iran to actively hunt down the American pilots. A channel affiliated with Iranian state television claimed that a U.S. pilot had ejected from their aircraft over a rural region of southwestern Iran.
An anchor on the channel urged local residents to hand over any “enemy pilot” to police and promised a reward for anyone who did. The local television channel is based in Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, an intensely rural and mountainous region.
In an even more alarming escalation, an on-screen crawl on Iranian state media urged the public to “shoot them if you see them,” referring to videos circulating of what appeared to be U.S. aircraft flying low in the area, apparently conducting the search and rescue mission.
A regional governor in Iran’s southwest issued a public plea for locals to find those on board the jet and promised a reward. A representative of merchants and businesses was reportedly offering the equivalent of $60,000 for information leading to the capture of the pilots.
The situation on the ground became even more dangerous as footage emerged of tribesmen shooting at what appeared to be American search and rescue aircraft. The semiofficial Mehr news agency published videos that it said showed “brave locals firing at U.S. helicopters” with guns.
Separate videos purported to show U.S. military aircraft involved in the rescue operation, including an Air Force HC-130J Combat King II, a specialised search and rescue plane; a U.S. KC-130 refuelling tanker; and two HH-60 Pave Hawk search and rescue helicopters.
The footage of armed civilians firing at American rescue aircraft underscored the extreme danger facing the search and rescue teams operating deep behind enemy lines in hostile terrain.
The shootdown came as President Trump had declared success and was pressuring Iran to agree to a deal to end the war, while simultaneously massing new troops in the Middle East and threatening intense escalation if Tehran does not reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz trade route.
Trump had vowed during an address to the nation on Wednesday night to wind down the conflict in the coming weeks. The loss of the F-15E complicates that narrative and raises questions about the trajectory of the war.
The joint U.S.-Israeli campaign has focused intensely on destroying and degrading Iran’s missile defences, but the shootdown demonstrated that Tehran has retained the capability to hit back across the region. The incident will add to doubts over American-Israeli claims of dominance over Iran’s skies.
As the war entered its 35th day, Iran launched new attacks on Gulf energy sites, with strikes on a desalination plant and oil refinery in Kuwait as well as a gas complex in Abu Dhabi. The attacks on critical civilian infrastructure in neighbouring Gulf states underscored the widening scope of the conflict and Iran’s willingness to strike beyond its own borders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that most of Iran’s steel production capacity had been destroyed after the U.S. and Israel targeted industrial facilities. In a new video, Netanyahu detailed the scale of the joint military campaign.
“Together with our American friends, we continue to crush the terror regime in Iran. We are eliminating commanders, bombing bridges, bombing infrastructure. In recent days, the Air Force has destroyed 70% of Iran’s steel production capacity. This is a tremendous achievement that deprives the Revolutionary Guards of both financial sources and the ability to produce a large number of weapons.”
“In full coordination between myself and President Trump, between the IDF and the United States Army, we will continue to crush Iran. This regime is weaker than ever — Israel is stronger than ever.”
Key Facts at a Glance
- Aircraft: F-15E Strike Eagle (two-seater, approximately $100 million)
- Unit: 48th Fighter Wing, based at RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
- Location: Shot down over southern Iran (Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province)
- Crew Status: One pilot rescued behind enemy lines; one crew member still missing
- Iran’s Claim: IRGC says it used a “new advanced air defence system”
- Significance: First U.S. jet downed by enemy fire since the war began (Day 35)
- Reward Offered: Equivalent of $60,000 offered by merchants for information on pilots
- Rescue Aircraft Spotted: HC-130J Combat King II, KC-130 refuelling tanker, two HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters
- Trump: Briefed on incident; had vowed to wind down conflict in coming weeks
- Iran’s Gulf Strikes: Strikes on desalination plant and oil refinery in Kuwait; gas complex in Abu Dhabi
- Netanyahu: Claims 70% of Iran’s steel production capacity destroyed by joint U.S.-Israel campaign
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