A US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet has reportedly been downed, triggering urgent search efforts by US and Iranian forces for the crew, according to unconfirmed reports.
BST 1800 Update — One crew member reportedly rescued
It’s been claimed that one crew member from the downed F-15 was rescued by US military forces, as reported by CBS News, citing a “US official.” Efforts are still ongoing to locate the second crew member. The BBC mentions that White House press secretary Caroline Levitt confirmed the president has been briefed on the situation.
Details about the incident remain unclear. Levitt’s statement marks the first time a named US official has acknowledged something significant occurred.
According to Iranian sources, the jet was shot down over western Iran, but the United States has not officially verified whether it was due to enemy action, internal mishap, or something else, as similar incidents have occurred before.
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Iran has frequently asserted that it has downed US aircraft and sunk US ships, yet some reports suggest there might be a grain of truth in what’s been released by Iranian state media, as indicated by an unnamed US government source. CNN reported that three officials confirmed an F-15E was indeed shot down over Iran. An article from the Guardian reiterated that “U.S. officials know better.”
The US military is engaged in a search and rescue operation, with social media videos purportedly showing US helicopters flying low across Khuzestan province in central Iran.
Iran is also on the lookout for two crew members who may have escaped from the aircraft, with state media encouraging Iranians to capture them for a reward.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has not yet commented on the alleged aircraft loss but generally works to counter Iranian misinformation regarding US military claims. Just yesterday, the US government refuted Iran’s assertion that it had shot down a US F-35 fighter jet over the Persian Gulf, highlighting that Iran has made this false claim multiple times before.
The F-35 is quite different from the F-15E, which has its origins back in the 1960s.
On Friday morning, Iran again claimed to have shot down an F-35 but presented images of debris clearly identifiable as F-15E parts, including a section with markings from the 494th Fighter Squadron, US Air Force, stationed in England.
Iran’s accounts of the crew’s fate have fluctuated, initially stating they were killed, then appealing to the public for assistance in their recovery.
If confirmed, the downing of the F-15E would mark the first time Iran has successfully shot down a US military aircraft during the ongoing Operation Epic Fury. Other aircraft have also been lost, including incidents involving three F-15Es colliding, a tanker plane in a mid-air collision, and an E-3 Sentry command and control plane that crashed in Saudi Arabia.
This story is still developing with further updates to come.
