After Iran announced it had downed a US F-15E fighter jet, the governor of a southwestern Iranian province stated that individuals who capture or eliminate the American pilot, reported to have ejected during the incident, would be recognized by authorities. An Iranian channel also offered rewards for civilians who capture the pilot alive and deliver them to authorities, while encouraging public involvement in targeting aircraft.
State-connected Iranian channels reported that the US fighter pilot ejected over southwestern Iran after being shot down, marking the first known loss of a jet within Iran during the conflict. As US officials work to extract the pilot, believed to be alive, through a combat search and rescue operation, Iranian state media shared images online showing American aircraft, including helicopters, planes, and drones, flying in the vicinity.
Additionally, Tehran-affiliated channels aired footage of metal debris being transported on a pickup truck, indicating a potential crash site in a mountainous area about 500 kilometers southwest of Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran claimed a significant military achievement, stating that a second F-35 fighter jet was downed over central Iran by an advanced air defense system operated by its Aerospace Force. The IRGC reported that the aircraft, allegedly from the US Air Force’s Lakenheath squadron, was completely destroyed upon impact and likely had no pilot ejection. This claim follows a previous assertion by Iranian forces that they had shot down the first-ever F-35 during combat on March 19.
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