U.S. and Iranian forces continued their search on Saturday in a race to locate the missing crew member of an American F-15 fighter jet that was shot down over Iran. An Iranian television station urged citizens to report the pilot’s whereabouts, offering a reward for information. The incident has heightened pressure on the Trump administration as the conflict entered its sixth week.
Iranian and U.S. forces were engaged in a high-stakes race on Saturday to locate a missing crew member from an American fighter jet that crashed inside Iran—the first such incident since the outbreak of the war.
Tehran claimed responsibility for shooting down the F-15 aircraft, while U.S. media reports indicated that American special forces successfully rescued one of the two crew members. The second crew member remains unaccounted for.
Iran’s military further stated that it had downed a U.S. A-10 ground-attack aircraft over the Gulf, though American media outlets reported that the pilot in that incident was safely recovered.
The conflict, now in its sixth week, began following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The escalation triggered widespread retaliation, expanding the war across the Middle East, disrupting global markets, and affecting millions worldwide.
The US Central Command has yet to issue an official statement regarding the reported loss of the F-15. However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Donald Trump had been briefed on the situation.
In an interview with NBC, President Trump stated that the incident would not impact ongoing discussions with Iran, remarking, “No, not at all. No, it’s war.”
Meanwhile, an Iranian military spokesperson said that an “American hostile fighter jet” was intercepted and destroyed by the aerospace division of the Revolutionary Guard using advanced air defense systems, adding that search operations are ongoing.
Iranian state television also broadcast an appeal urging citizens to capture the missing crew member alive, promising a “valuable reward” for information or assistance.
The U.S. military has acknowledged several aircraft losses during operations linked to Iran, including a refueling tanker crash in Iraq and multiple F-15s reportedly downed by friendly fire.
Speaking to AFP, retired U.S. Brigadier General Houston Cantwell said that a pilot’s survival training becomes critical in such scenarios. “My priority would be concealment to avoid capture,” he noted, emphasizing the importance of evasion tactics after ejection.
