Photo: Simon Galloway / Getty Images News / Getty Images
A US F-15E fighter jet has been shot down over Iran, prompting an urgent search and rescue operation for its two-person crew, in the first such incident since the conflict between the United States and Iran began on February 28, according to multiple US officials. The fate of the crew remains unclear as of Friday (April 3) afternoon.
Iranian state media initially claimed the downed aircraft was an advanced F-35 stealth fighter. However, aviation experts analyzing images of the wreckage released by Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency identified it as an F-15E Strike Eagle from the US Air Force's 494th Squadron, based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom.
US officials familiar with the situation confirmed off the record that an F-15E had been brought down and that one member of the two-person crew has been rescued and is receiving medical treatment. However, there has been no official comment from the US military about the incident as of Friday afternoon. Subsequent footage from Iran showed US C-130 Hercules and HH-60 Pavehawk helicopters flying low over Iranian territory, at one point refueling together, fueling speculation that the plane's crew may have ejected and survived.
The Pentagon has not provided details on the circumstances surrounding the F-15E's loss, and the exact location and time of the shoot-down remain unclear. The search and rescue operation is ongoing, with US forces working to locate and recover the two crew members in what is described as hostile territory.
The downing of the fighter jet marks a significant escalation in the 35-day conflict that has seen strikes across the Middle East. The war began when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran on February 28. Since then, more than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel, according to tracking data from various sources. More than two dozen people have died in Gulf states and the occupied West Bank, while 13 US service members have been killed.
Friday's incident occurred amid renewed attacks across the region. Kuwait's state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corporation reported that the Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery was struck by Iranian drones, sparking fires at the facility. Kuwait also said that an Iranian attack caused "material damage" to a power and water desalination plant. Bahrain's interior ministry said sirens sounded three times overnight, urging people to head to the nearest safe location. Authorities in Abu Dhabi reported two incidents of debris falling from intercepted aerial threats in the UAE capital, including at the Habshan gas facilities.