U.S. fighter jet f-15 shot down in Iran: Search ongoing for missing crew member

An Israeli official and a second source familiar with the incident reported that one of two crew members of a US fighter f-15 shot down over Iran was identified and rescued by US special forces, and the search for the second is ongoing.

The latest: Iran is also searching for the crew and has invited civilians in the area to assist with the search, offering a reward for their location.

In a separate incident on Friday, the Iranian armed forces claimed to have shot down an American A-10 attack aircraft. A knowledgeable source revealed that the A-10 was hit, but the pilot was successfully rescued.

A second version claimed that the plane crashed and was destroyed, but the pilot was safe.The Iranian military also claimed to have shot down a US Blackhawk chopper that was searching for the crew members of the crashed F-15.

A US official stated that the Blackhawk was hit and crew members were injured, but it could still fly. It was the same chopper that rescued the crew member from the F-15.

How It Happened

The two crew members of the F-15 fighter plane escaped safely after being hit by Iranian fire, according to sources.

U.S. special forces located one of the crew members and recovered him alive on Iranian soil.

According to an Israeli official, Israel halted planned strikes in Iran to avoid interfering with search and rescue operations. Israel is providing intelligence to the United States to locate the other crew member, according to an Israeli official.

The Iranian media was the first to report that a plane had been shot down. According to state television, anyone who locates US troops would be paid by the government.

The Big Picture

For the first time since the start of the war, an American jet has been shot down by enemy fire.

• Zoom in: An F-15E Strike Eagle flies with a pilot and a weapons systems officer. The Boeing-built aircraft are capable of flying both air-to-air and air-to-ground operations.

Earlier in the war, three F-15Es were shot down by friendly fire.

13 Americans have been killed in the campaign.

• Zoom out: Iran’s successful downing of the US fighter comes despite repeated assurances by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials that the US has gained air superiority over Iran.

During his prime-time address on Wednesday, President Trump stated that there was “nothing” Iran could do to prevent impending attacks on oil infrastructure.

“They do not have any anti-aircraft equipment. Their radar is destroyed. “We are unstoppable as a military force,” he declared.