US fighter jet downed over Iran was identified as an F-15E Strike Eagle, and US officials said the two-seat jet was shot down over southwestern Iran, according to CBS News and other outlets. One crew member was recovered by American forces, while a search remained under way for the second airman, US Central Command notified the House Armed Services Committee, a congressional aide told CBS News.
US and allied aircraft flew low over southwestern provinces in apparent search and rescue efforts, with video and images verified by outlets showing a C-130 and several helicopters operating in the area, CBS News and The New York Times reported. During the mission, US helicopters came under fire, and at least one UH-60 Black Hawk involved in recovery operations was struck, US officials told NBC News and CBS News, with service members sustaining minor injuries.
Iranian state media and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps published images and claims that wreckage from the crash belonged to a US fighter, and weapons experts consulted by CBS News and The New York Times said the debris appeared consistent with an F-15E. Iranian broadcasters urged the public to search for captured crew members and offered rewards for turning them over, while Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked US search efforts on social media, the AP and other outlets reported.
Wider Military Claims Reactions And Regional Effects
Alongside the F-15E loss, NBC News and The New York Times reported that Iran said it had also downed a US A-10 near the Strait of Hormuz, and US officials confirmed an A-10 was damaged and its lone pilot was rescued after ejecting. Reports said two Black Hawk helicopters were hit during recovery operations, and US officials described injuries as minor, as reported by NBC News.
White House officials confirmed President Trump had been briefed on the incident, and outlets reported his national security team provided updates from the West Wing. The president made public comments about oil and the Strait of Hormuz on his social platforms, which were cited by CBS News and other outlets. Israel paused some strikes to accommodate the US rescue effort, according to CBS News. Iranian media also reported Tehran refused a US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire, as noted by Fars agency in news coverage.
The downing came amid broader strikes and counterstrikes across the region, with reporting that Iranian missiles and drones damaged energy and desalination facilities in Gulf states and that US and Israeli strikes hit infrastructure inside Iran, causing civilian casualties and damage, according to multiple news outlets summarised in these reports. The incidents have intensified an already volatile operational picture and raised diplomatic and military risks for recovery crews.
