Iran shoots down a US. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle over Iran on Friday. The jet carries a two-member crew, a pilot and a weapons systems officer. Consequently, US. forces immediately launched a combat search-and-rescue mission deep inside Iranian territory.
US. special forces located one crew member and rescued him alive on Iranian territory. However, the search for the second crew member continues. Meanwhile, a regional governor in Iran’s southwest publicly urged locals to find those on board and offered a reward.
Furthermore, Iran’s complicated rescue efforts were significantly. An A-10 Warthog supporting the rescue mission took fire and sustained damage. The Warthog pilot ejected over the Persian Gulf and rescuers successfully recovered him. Additionally, a rescue helicopter carrying the recovered F-15E pilot came under small arms fire, wounding crew members on board, though the helicopter landed safely.
Wreckage images confirmed the aircraft as an F-15E from the 48th Fighter Wing, based at RAF Lakenheath, UK. Meanwhile, Iran falsely claimed it downed an F-35 stealth jet. Nevertheless, aviation experts quickly corrected this claim using markings visible in debris photos.
Notably, this downing comes as the US. showed few signs of slowing its assault, and reports of potential peace talks yielded no breakthrough. Therefore, the incident raises serious questions about US. claims of air dominance.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed President Trump had been fully briefed. Despite this, Trump stated the incident would not affect ongoing indirect negotiations. Ultimately, this marks the first confirmed US. aircraft loss inside Iran since Operation Epic Fury began.
“Sources: CBS News · CNN · NBC News · Axios · Military Times”
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