One American pilot of an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet has been rescued from Iranian territory after the aircraft was struck, apparently by rocket fire, and went down.
The Iranian state already had been urging civilians to shoot at rescue aircraft and capture any pilots on the ground in return for a reward.
According to the Daily Mail, “footage has emerged of tribesmen shooting at what appears to be an Air Force NC-130J Combat King II,” used in search and rescue operations, and “separate videos purported to show a U.S. KC-130 refueling tankedr and two HH-60 Pave Hawk search and rescue helicopters.”
The White House confirmed President Trump had been briefed on the quickly developing situation.
Iranian media had been posting pictures of debris and describing it as from the jet.
🚨JUST IN: CENTCOM is preparing an announcement regarding the downed F-15 over Iran:
One pilot has been RESCUED, while CSAR operations are ongoing for the secondpic.twitter.com/X1CqCMlUyl https://t.co/0NY81fphND
— Morse Report (@MorseReport) April 3, 2026
🚨JUST IN: CENTCOM is preparing an announcement regarding the downed F-15 over Iran:
One pilot has been RESCUED, while CSAR operations are ongoing for the secondpic.twitter.com/X1CqCMlUyl https://t.co/0NY81fphND
— Morse Report (@MorseReport) April 3, 2026
The report explained the area at issue is “rural and mountainous” and viewers were told by Iranian officials to “shoot them if you see them.”
That apparently was in reference to rescue craft.
“The regime has previously made a series of false claims about shooting down piloted U.S. planes. However, Friday was the first time state media has called on the public to look for the suspected American pilots,” the report said.
Operation Epic Fury was launched by the U.S. and Israel some six weeks ago to permanently remove Iran’s ability to threaten the world with nuclear weapons. So far many of its military leaders and governmental chiefs have been removed from the playing field, and many of its military assets and capabilities reduced to rubble.
‘Pray for these pilots’: U.S. fighter jet shot down over Iran, ‘bounty’ put on crew
