US Pilot Reportedly Ejects In Southwest Iran Amid Fresh Iranian Claims Of F-35, F-15E Downing

A US fighter pilot reportedly ejected from an aircraft in southwest Iran, according to a report by the Associated Press citing Iranian media, as fresh claims from Tehran intensified uncertainty over the fate of the pilot amid the ongoing conflict.

An anchor on a local Iranian television channel read out an announcement saying, "If you capture the enemy pilot or pilots and hand them over alive to the police or military forces, you will receive a valuable reward." At the same time, a separate on-screen crawl carried a more alarming appeal, urging the public to "shoot them if you see them."

Iranian Broadcaster Says Civilians Rushed To Crash Site

Iran's state broadcaster IRIB also posted on X that large numbers of civilians had headed towards the reported crash site in private vehicles after news of the incident spread.

"Many people in southwestern Iran have gone to the area around the crash site of the American fighter jet in private cars to capture the American pilot. The Iranian armed forces have called on the people NOT TO LET anyone mistreat the pilot," IRIB wrote.

The developments have added to widespread speculation over whether the pilot survived the ejection and whether Iranian forces or civilians reached the location first. No independent confirmation has yet emerged regarding the pilot's condition or whereabouts.

Iran Claims F-35 And F-15E Were Shot Down

Iranian media also escalated the situation by claiming that a US F-35 stealth fighter had been shot down over central Iran by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Tasnim news agency published images it described as wreckage from an American military aircraft and said the likelihood of the pilot surviving was low.

Separately, IRIB claimed that an F-15E Strike Eagle from the 494th Fighter Squadron, stationed at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, had also been downed.

"Debris of the tail fin confirms the downing. The fate of the pilots is currently unclear," IRIB posted on X.

The competing reports have fuelled confusion, with Iranian outlets mentioning both an F-35 and an F-15E in connection with the latest incident.

Third F-35 Downing Claim Since Conflict Began

This marks the third time Iran has claimed to have brought down an F-35 since hostilities began on 28 February. Tehran had earlier made similar assertions on 23 March and again on 2 April.

Both of those earlier claims were firmly rejected by the United States Central Command. Responding to one Iranian video linked to an alleged crash near Qeshm Island, CENTCOM's official X account had said, "All US fighter aircraft are accounted for. Iran's IRGC has made the same false claim at least half a dozen times."

That rebuttal has cast doubt over the latest claims as well, especially in the absence of independently verified evidence from the reported crash locations.

No Official US Confirmation Yet

As of the time of writing, there has been no official statement from US Central Command, the Pentagon or the White House on the latest Iranian claims of a pilot ejection and aircraft losses.

With Tehran continuing to push reports of a downed US jet and an ejected pilot in southwest Iran, attention is now focused on whether Washington issues a formal response and whether verifiable details emerge about the aircraft involved and the pilot's fate.