US Rescues One Crew Member After F-15E Downed Over Iran, Hunt On for Missing Airman

A dramatic combat search-and-rescue operation was underway over southern Iran on Friday after a US fighter jet was reportedly shot down over western Iran, with one crew member rescued and another still unaccounted for, according to US and Israeli media reports citing unnamed officials.

The reported incident, first carried by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-affiliated Tasnim news agency, could mark the first time Iran has brought down a US combat jet since the current war began on 28 February. Footage circulating online and verified by the BBC appeared to show a US refuelling aircraft and two helicopters flying low over Khuzestan province, in what matched the profile of a search-and-rescue mission.

BBC-verified footage points to active US rescue mission in southern Iran

Video posted on social media and verified by the BBC showed what appeared to be a US aerial refuelling plane accompanied by two helicopters flying low over Khuzestan province in southern Iran. The visuals were described as being consistent with an active combat search-and-rescue mission following the reported downing of an American aircraft.

Tasnim had earlier reported that the US was searching for one of its pilots and said helicopters, planes and reconnaissance drones were involved in the operation. Soon after, major US outlets including Axios, The New York Times and Reuters also reported, citing US officials, that one crew member had been rescued while efforts were continuing to locate the second.

The US military's Central Command (Centcom) is expected to issue a statement on the incident.

Missing second crew member feared trapped as Iran prioritises capture

The reported aircraft was identified as a US F-15E Strike Eagle, a twin-seat fighter that typically carries a pilot and a weapons systems officer. That means the rescue of one crew member leaves another potentially stranded inside hostile territory.

Iranian authorities have indicated that securing any surviving US personnel is now a top priority. The governor of Iran's southern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, which borders Khuzestan, reportedly said the priority was "capturing" any downed US crew "alive", according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.

Iranian media outlets also claimed that a reward of 10 billion tomans, roughly £50,000, had been announced for information leading to the discovery of the "intruder", underlining the urgency and high stakes surrounding the missing American airman.

White House says Trump briefed as earlier Iranian claims had been denied

When asked by the BBC about reports that a US fighter jet had been shot down, the White House did not directly confirm the incident but said only that "the president has been briefed".

That carefully worded response came a day after Washington rejected a separate Iranian claim that a US fighter jet pilot had been shot down over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. At the time, the US denied the IRGC's assertion.

The latest reported loss is particularly significant because both US President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have repeatedly suggested in recent days that Washington had already gained the upper hand in the war. In a televised address on Wednesday, Trump said the US military had nearly completed its objectives and vowed to strike Iran "extremely hard" over the coming two or three weeks.

Reported F-15E loss adds new twist to widening regional conflict

While this would be the first confirmed case of Iran directly downing a US fighter jet since the conflict began, it is not the first time the US has lost aircraft during the war.

In early March, three US fighter jets were accidentally shot down by Kuwaiti air defences in what Centcom described as "an apparent friendly fire incident". All six crew members in those aircraft ejected safely and were later recovered.

The broader conflict, which began five weeks ago with US and Israeli strikes on Iran and triggered retaliatory attacks across the region, has continued to escalate sharply. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has said that 1,606 civilians, including at least 244 children, have been killed in Iran since the start of the war.

The F-15E Strike Eagle is one of the US military's most versatile and expensive combat aircraft. Capable of flying at low altitudes and built for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, the aircraft is valued at around $100 million (roughly £75 million). It is equipped with a powerful radar system designed to detect ground targets from long range, making it a key platform in high-intensity operations.

If the reported downing is formally confirmed by the US military, it would mark a major symbolic and operational setback for Washington, while intensifying scrutiny over the fate of the still-missing crew member deep inside Iranian territory.