Iran shoots down one American F-15 fighter jet Multiple U.S. media outlets quoted sources as saying on Friday. After the accident, the US military launched a search and rescue operation for the two crew members. While The New York Times reported that the fate of the crew was unclear, Axios cited sources as saying that one of the two members had been rescued.
Iran issued a statement
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iran had shot down a “highly advanced American fighter jet.” Other Iranian media released photos showing what they said was the wreckage of a descending jet.
Read more: Iran says another U.S. fighter jet was shot down; state TV urges pilot capture
The Iranian government has yet to comment on the incident.
Where were the F-15 crew after the crash?
Axios cited sources as saying one crew member had been rescued, while the urgent search for the second crew member continued. The report pointed out that after the plane was hit by Iranian fire, both crew members ejected and escaped. Special forces successfully found and rescued the crew member in Iran. The condition of the rescued persons has not yet been disclosed.
However, the second crew member remains missing.
Iran ‘hunts’ crew
Iranian authorities are reportedly conducting their own search operations and are further urging civilians to assist. National television broadcasts messages encouraging the public to search for missing Americans and even offering government rewards.
The aircraft involved is an F-15E Strike Eagle, which typically carries two personnel, a pilot and a weapons systems officer, and is designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions.
While several F-15Es were lost earlier in the conflict, these incidents were attributed to friendly fire rather than direct enemy engagement.
White House response
At the White House, officials are watching developments closely. Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt confirmed that “the president has been briefed.”
More than 5,000 people have been killed in the conflict so far, nearly three-quarters of them in Iran, according to government organizations and the American Human Rights Activist News Service. More than 1,300 people have been killed in Lebanon, where Israel is fighting a parallel war with its Iranian ally Hezbollah.
(Inputs from Bloomberg)
