One US Pilot rescued after Iran downs Fighter Jet over hostile skies

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

 One crew member from a US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet shot down over Iran has been successfully rescued by American forces, two US officials told CBS News on Friday.

A search and rescue operation continues for the second crew member.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the incident.

“The President has been briefed,” she stated, without providing further details on the timing or content of the update.

The downing of the twin-seat F-15E marks the first time a US combat aircraft has been lost to Iranian air defenses over Iranian territory since the current conflict began nearly five weeks ago.

The jet was operating in or near Khuzestan Province in southwestern Iran when it was brought down.

US forces launched an immediate combat search and rescue mission following the incident. Video footage previously geolocated to the area showed low-flying aircraft and helicopters consistent with rescue and support operations near the Karoon River.

Iranian state media had reported that initial searches for ejected crew members were unsuccessful and offered rewards for the capture of any “enemy pilots.”

The successful rescue of at least one aviator represents a partial victory for US recovery efforts in contested airspace, though the status of the second crew member remains unknown.

Officials have not disclosed details on the condition of the rescued individual or the exact circumstances of the extraction.

The Pentagon and US Central Command have not issued an official statement on the shoot-down or the ongoing operation as of late Friday. The incident comes amid broader US military actions against Iranian targets, including recent strikes on infrastructure.

Earlier in the conflict, three US F-15Es were lost in a friendly-fire incident involving Kuwaiti air defenses, with all crew safely ejecting. Iranian claims initially referenced an F-35 in some reports, but US sources and visual evidence have consistently identified the aircraft as an F-15E.