American Pilot Rescued, Search for Second Underway After F-15 Downed in Iran

One crewmember of an American F-15 E Strike Eagle fighter is missing and another rescued after the plane crashed in a remote area of southwest Iran — one of two American planes that went down in the Persian Gulf region in the past 24 hours.Iranian state media claimed that Iran’s military shot down the F-15. Iran’s media published photos of debris and an ejection seat it said were from the plane.Iran offered a reward to civilians to find and turn over the missing crewmember.The F-15E is a two-seat Boeing-made fighter that carries a pilot and a weapons-systems officer.American special forces troops carried out the first rescue and continued to search for the second crewmember. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said that President Trump has been briefed on the incident.An Israeli official told the Associated Press that airstrikes were halted in the area where search and rescue operations are taking place.Iran’s parliamentary speaker mocked the American military in an X post.“After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from regime change’ to ‘Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?’” Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf posted. “Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses.”An Air Force plane also crashed near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, the New York Times reported, citing unnamed American officials. The A-10 Warthog combat plane’s lone pilot was safely rescued, according to the report.The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, said this week that America has “air superiority” over Iran and President Trump has claimed Iran’s air defenses have been “annihilated” but Friday’s incident shows that the Iranian regime retains some anti-aircraft capabilities.The Islamic Republic also continues to fire missiles against several countries in the region. The Kuwaiti army said on Friday that it intercepted 26 drones, seven ballistic missiles, and two cruise missiles in the past 24 hours.The F-15 is believed to be the first American plane downed by enemy fire since the fighting began five weeks ago. Three F-15s were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses on March 1 in a friendly fire incident. All six aircrew ejected safely and were rescued in that incident.

American Pilot Rescued, Search for Second Underway After F-15 Downed in Iran

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