A United States fighter aircraft has been brought down over Iranian territory, marking the first confirmed loss of a US jet to Iranian air defences since the escalation of the ongoing conflict, according to American officials and Iranian state media reports.
Multiple US sources confirmed the incident to CNN, corroborating claims by Iranian outlets that the aircraft was intercepted and destroyed by the country’s air defence systems.
The aircraft, widely identified in reports and circulating images as an F-15E Strike Eagle, reportedly crashed in or around Khuzestan Province in southwestern Iran, approximately 470 kilometres from the capital, Tehran.
Footage geolocated near a bridge over the Karoon River showed low-altitude military aircraft movements, believed to be part of search-and-rescue or support operations in the aftermath of the incident.
US forces are said to have initiated a combat search and rescue (CSAR) mission involving aircraft and helicopters to locate the crew, believed to consist of two pilots.
Iranian state media, including Fars News and Tasnim News Agency, reported that initial attempts to locate any ejected personnel had not yielded results.
One broadcast on Fars News indicated that a reward had been announced for information leading to the capture of any “enemy pilot or pilots,” raising concerns about the safety of the crew amid ongoing hostilities.
Iranian sources attributed the downing of the aircraft to “advanced and newly developed” air defence systems operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC.
Images and video footage circulated by Iranian outlets purported to show debris from the crash, including what appeared to be an ejection seat, although independent verification remains limited.
Earlier claims from Iranian sources suggested the aircraft was an F-35, but available evidence and U.S.-based reporting point to an F-15E.
As of Friday afternoon, neither the Pentagon, United States Central Command, CENTCOM, nor the White House had issued an official statement regarding the incident or the fate of the crew.
Observers note that such silence is typical during active combat search-and-rescue operations in contested areas.
