US F-15E Shot Down Over Iran, Search Underway

A U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle was brought down over Iran during a five-week conflict, as U.S. and Israeli forces carried out wide-ranging air operations across Iran and Lebanon. The incident was described as the first confirmed loss of a U.S. aircraft over Iranian territory during the current fighting. A search for the jet’s second crew member continued for a second day, after one pilot was rescued on Friday.

 

Officials said the recovery effort expanded into a large U.S. search-and-rescue mission. The operation involved Pave Hawk helicopters and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, according to the account. The second crew member remained unaccounted for as the search entered its second day.

 

Iran claimed it shot down the F-15E and also said another U.S. aircraft, an A-10 Warthog attack aircraft, was downed. The U.S. military did not publicly confirm what caused the F-15E to go down, leaving the circumstances of the loss unresolved in official U.S. statements. Iranian state media circulated images it said showed wreckage, including an F-15 tail fin and a used ejector seat, and reports also described bounties being offered for the missing crew member.

 

At the same time, Israel reported it conducted airstrikes in Tehran targeting air defense, ballistic missile storage, and weapons development facilities. Separately, a building near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant was also struck, according to the account. The developments came amid continued bombing campaigns across Iran and Lebanon by U.S. and Israeli forces.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated threats of escalation if Iran did not comply with demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is a central focus in the stated demands referenced in the account, and it remained part of the public messaging as the conflict continued.

 

Humanitarian impacts were described as severe. Estimates from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies put casualties in Iran at at least 1,900 fatalities and 20,000 injuries. In Lebanon, Israeli strikes were reported to have killed over 1,200 people and displaced more than 1.1 million.

 

Diplomatic positioning also remained in view. Iran’s foreign minister denied reports that Iran was withdrawing from peace talks, while emphasizing a desire for a conclusive end to the conflict. With the missing U.S. crew member still unaccounted for and competing claims about the aircraft losses, key operational details remained uncertain as the search continued.