A chilling video has emerged that captures the moment a missile fired by Iran takes down one of the two US F-15 fighter jets. One of the two pilots have since been rescued while Iran has put a bounty on the capture of the second crew member. Iran released images showing what appears to be an ejection seat, after downing the aircraft earlier in the day.
Both US and Iranian teams have been searching for the missing personnel. Efforts to locate the second person are still underway, according to US officials who spoke with CBS News. Iranian state media shared images of what it claimed was wreckage from the jets.
Rescued after Bounty Announcement
Authorities have offered civilians a "valuable reward" for capturing the pilots, while Iranian TV viewers were told to "shoot them if you see them," referring to low-flying US aircraft in the area. This came after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said its "newly developed and advanced air defenses" brought down the jet, adding that it was "completely destroyed and crashed," according to Tehran's Press TV.
Later, US officials confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that an American F-15E, carrying two crew members, had indeed been shot down.
This would mark the first known loss of a jet inside the country since the war began, during which US and Israeli pilots have conducted over 20,000 airstrikes, military officials said.
A US F-35A sustained damage over Iran on March 19 during a combat mission, while 16 MQ-9 drones have been brought down. In a separate incident, three American F-15 fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait due to friendly fire.
Meanwhile, a presenter on a local state TV affiliate encouraged Iranians to track down the "enemy" pilots. The outlet also reported that at least one US pilot had ejected from the aircraft over southwestern Iran.
"If you capture the enemy pilot or pilots alive and hand them over to the police, you will receive a precious prize," the anchor said, according to the Associated Press.
Search on for Another Pilot
Meanwhile, US officials said a search-and-rescue mission was launched to find the second crew member. It remains unclear exactly where in Iran the jet went down, but a video geolocated by CNN showed several military aircraft flying low over Khuzestan Province.
The Pentagon has not yet issued any public response to the reports.
Iran has made false claims in the past about shooting down American aircraft during the month-long conflict, but this marked the first time state media openly urged civilians to pursue a downed pilot. Just a day earlier, US Central Command had rejected another such claim from Iran as untrue.
"FACT: All U.S. fighter aircraft are accounted for. Iran's IRGC has made the same false claim at least half a dozen times," the combatant command posted to X — hours before the latest report.
Meanwhile, Iranian diplomats mocked President Trump on Friday after he warned of continued bombing that could send the theocratic regime "back to the Stone Ages" unless it opens the Strait of Hormuz.
"Iran stood at the heart of the cradle of civilization while your ancestors in Europe (as the US wasn't even on the map) were still in the Stone Age – painting faces and swinging clubs," former Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif wrote on X.
"We taught order, law and statecraft. Pity none of it reached some arrogant, ignorant descendants."
