The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that one pilot was rescued on Friday after a U.S fighter jet was shut down in Iran.
The U.S fighter jet identified as an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down by Iranian air defenses.
The incident, which took place over the rugged southwestern province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, marks the first time a manned American aircraft has been lost to enemy fire since the start of “Operation Epic Fury” in late February.
The downed aircraft, identified by aviation experts as belonging to the 494th Fighter Squadron based at RAF Lakenheath, was reportedly operating on a combat mission when it was engaged by Iranian surface-to-air missiles.
Shortly after the U.S fighter jet was shut down, state media in Iran released broadcast footage of twisted wreckage and urged local villagers to hunt for the “enemy pilots,” even offering rewards for their capture.
However, a daring combat search and rescue (CSAR) mission was launched immediately. Using a combination of HC-130 search planes and HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters, U.S. forces successfully extracted one crew member.
Reports indicate that one pilot was rescued and is currently receiving medical evaluation at a secure U.S. facility in the region. The status of the second crew member remains unknown, and search efforts are continuing despite the high-threat environment.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the incident — the latest dramatic development in the war, now more than a month old.
Trump has declared success and pressured Iran to agree to a deal to end the war, while massing new troops in the Middle East and threatening intense escalation if Tehran doesn’t reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz trade route.
However, Iran has claimed previously to have struck American military planes, but the U.S. has not confirmed any such incidents during the war.
The U.S has lost at least 16 MQ-9 Reaper drones over Iran since the war began, and three U.S. F-15 fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait in a “friendly fire incident” early in the conflict, but there were no casualties.
U.S. Central Command said an F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing on March 19, but stopped short of confirming this was the result of an Iranian attack.
Kuwait accidentally shot down three U.S. fighter jets near the start of the war.
