US pilot rescued after Jet downed in Iran, search intensifies for gunner

US outlet Axios reported that the search and rescue operation for two crew members was underway, citing a source familiar with the incident.

Two crew members from a U.S. F-15E, shot down by Iran's IRGC in southern Iran on Friday, ejected over Iranian territory. While some Iranian reports claim one is in custody, others indicate an ongoing search for the pilot. An Israeli media outlet reported that one of the two crew members has been rescued from Iran.

U.S forces have initiated search-and-rescue operations for a fighter jet downed over Iran, as reported by outlets including The Wall Street Journal and CNN.

CNN noted that three U.S. sources verified Iranian state media claims of the shootdown, with their analysis of Iranian-published images confirming it as an F-15 aircraft.

The Wall Street Journal cited the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, which said on Friday that the American jet was targeted in Iran.

In a post on X, the Iranian state media IRIB shared a map of Iran where it circled the area where two American pilots are being searched for since morning.

CNN reported uncertainty about the exact crash site within Iran.

Their geolocated video showed multiple low-flying military aircraft over Khuzestan Province in central Iran, depicting one plane skimming the ground with two helicopters trailing closely, a pattern typical of air-to-air refueling. The footage was captured on a bridge spanning the Karoon River, roughly 470 km south of Tehran.

The incident would represent the first U.S. aircraft downed over Iran in this conflict, per CNN.

US outlet Axios reported that the search and rescue operation for two crew members was underway, citing a source familiar with the incident.

Iranian media published pictures that appeared to show the wreckage of an F-15.

Meanwhile, in a separate X post, IRIB stated, "Iran has shot down an F-15E 'Strike Eagle' from the 494th Fighter Squadron 'LN' at RAF Lakenheath, UK. Tail fin debris confirms the downing. The pilots' fate remains unclear."

Previously, F-15s were accidentally downed in a friendly fire incident by Kuwaiti air defences. The U.S military and White House have yet to comment on the incident or the pilots' status.

(with ANI inputs)