American and Iranian forces scramble to find a missing crew member after Tehran claims it shot down a US fighter jet, escalating the regional conflict.
TEHRAN: Iranian and American forces are in a race to recover a crew member from a downed US F-15 fighter jet. This marks the first American warplane lost inside Iran since the regional war began over a month ago.
Tehran claims its forces shot down the F-15 in central Iranian airspace. US media reports indicate special forces rescued one of the two crew members, while the other remains missing.
Iran’s military also stated it downed a US A-10 ground attack aircraft in the Gulf. The pilot of that plane was reportedly rescued by US forces.
The conflict erupted with US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Retaliatory attacks have since spread violence across the Middle East.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed President Donald Trump has been briefed on the incident. Trump stated the loss would not affect negotiations with Iran, bluntly adding, “No, it’s war.”
An Iranian military spokesperson said the F-15 was “completely obliterated” and searches are ongoing. Iranian television suggested a “valuable reward” for anyone capturing a crew member alive.
Retired US brigadier general Houston Cantwell outlined a downed pilot’s priorities. “My priority would be, first of all, concealment, because I don’t want to be captured,” he told AFP.
Mohammad Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, mocked the US effort on social media. He sarcastically referred to the search for pilots as “incredible progress” by “absolute geniuses.”
Fresh strikes targeted multiple countries on Saturday. An AFP journalist reported several blasts and a thick haze of smoke over Tehran’s skyline.
US-Israeli strikes hit a petrochemicals hub in southwestern Iran, wounding five people. Another strike near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant killed a guard.
Strikes are increasingly targeting economic infrastructure, raising global energy supply fears. Iran has virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil transit route.
Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari warned of increased attacks on regional energy sites. This follows US threats against Iranian infrastructure.
Gulf states are now under direct threat, accused by Iran of hosting US launchpads. Shrapnel injured four people in Bahrain, and debris hit buildings in Dubai.
The conflict’s other front, Lebanon, also saw new violence. The Israeli military said it struck over 3,500 targets in Lebanon in the past month.
AFP journalists heard two loud explosions in Beirut early Saturday, seeing smoke billow from one. Gutted buildings were visible in Tyre and Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported 1,368 people killed since the war began. Iran-backed Hezbollah has not announced its own losses.