A US F-15 fighter jet was shot down over Iran by Iranian air defenses, prompting a rescue mission that drew fire on additional US aircraft. One of the two crew members was rescued by US forces, while the second remains missing, according to US officials and media reports.
The incident occurred after US operations appeared to have secured air superiority over the country. Iranian state media claimed the downing of an F-35 using advanced defense systems in central airspace, marking the second such reported loss, though US sources have not confirmed the type or additional claims. Images broadcast by Iranian television purportedly showed wreckage, possibly of an F-15, which typically carries a two-person crew.
US combat search and rescue operations, involving reconnaissance, refueling, and support aircraft, faced hostile fire during the effort to locate the missing crew member, described as the weapons systems officer in the rear seat. Pilots train in SERE protocols—survive, evade, resist, extract—to hide, signal position, and endure isolation in enemy territory.
Reports conflict on aircraft types, with some citing F-15 and others F-35, but all confirm the downing and ongoing search under difficult conditions.