Washington, D.C. – One of the crew members of a downed US fighter jet in Iran was rescued by US forces, according to sources familiar with the matter. A frantic search and rescue operation is underway for the second crew member after the F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over southern Iran on Friday.
Two of the sources told CNN the crew member was alive, in US custody and receiving medical treatment. It remained unclear what the status of the second crew member was. Sources told CNN search and rescue operations were ongoing after the jet was downed over Iran.
One of the US sources also confirmed to CNN that the aircraft was an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet, an aircraft that can carry out air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. F-15s typically are crewed by a pilot and a weapon systems officer.
Key developments:
- US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet shot down over southern Iran – first US combat aircraft downed over hostile territory since 2003 Iraq invasion
- One crew member rescued, receiving medical treatment; second crew member still missing
- A-10 Warthog attack plane crashed near Strait of Hormuz; pilot safely rescued
- Two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters hit by Iranian fire; minor injuries reported
- Iran rejects 48-hour US ceasefire proposal, demands permanent end to war
- Israel postpones planned strikes on Iran to avoid interfering with US search and rescue
- One dead, four injured after debris from intercepted attack hits Abu Dhabi gas facilities
- Trump says downed jet "doesn't change negotiations" with Iran
Frantic Search and Rescue Underway
This marks the first time an American crewed combat aircraft has been shot down over hostile territory since the US launched its invasion of Iraq in 2003. The circumstances surrounding the downing of the jet remain unclear, and there has still been no official comment from the US government or military.
Iranian state media has urged citizens to look for the missing US crew members and promised rewards for handing them over. Trump has repeatedly claimed the war is "already won" and "near completion", and that Iran's military capabilities have been decimated – contrary to US intelligence that roughly half of Iran's ballistic missile launchers are still intact despite over a month of US-Israeli strikes against military targets in the country.
Trump has been briefed on the incident, the White House confirmed. The US president hasn't commented publicly, though he did tell NBC News that it wouldn't affect negotiations with Iran. Trump's national security team has gathered in the West Wing and has been providing updates to the president about the downed US jet all day.
A-10 Warthog Also Crashed
A second US aircraft was struck by Iranian fire after the F-15 fighter jet was downed, according to reports. A single-pilot aircraft – an A-10 Thunderbolt, known as a Warthog – that was mobilised to support the search and rescue mission was then also struck by Iranian fire. The aircraft reportedly crashed after making it to Kuwaiti airspace, where the pilot ejected and was safely rescued.
Iran also reportedly hit two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters involved in the search and rescue. A US official told NBC News there were minor injuries to service members from that strike but all of them are safe.
In total, Iran has caused two military aircraft to crash – the F-15 and the A-10 – and hit two Blackhawk helicopters in a single day, less than 48 hours after Donald Trump boasted in his primetime address to the nation that Iran has been "completely decimated."
Iran Mocks US, Rejects Ceasefire
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf appeared to mock the United States after reports emerged of the downed fighter jet. He wrote on X: "After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from 'regime change' to 'Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?'"
He added: "Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses."
Meanwhile, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency said Tehran had rejected a US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire, citing an unnamed source. The source said the proposal was made on Wednesday through another country, which was not named. Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had officially told mediators it is unwilling to meet with US officials in Islamabad in the coming days.
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said that Tehran will only accept a permanent and comprehensive end to the war – not a ceasefire – as well as other demands like reparations for the damage caused.
Israel Postpones Strikes
Israel has postponed some of its planned strikes on Iran so as not to interfere with the search and rescue efforts for the crew members who were aboard the US fighter jet that was shot down over Iran, an Israeli official has told CNN.
Abu Dhabi Attack Casualty
An Egyptian citizen was killed and four people suffered minor injuries after debris from an intercepted attack fell on Abu Dhabi's Habshan gas facilities on Friday, Abu Dhabi's media office said. "Significant damage has occurred at the facilities and an assessment is ongoing," it added.
US Politicians React
Democratic congressman Adam Smith told CNN that if Iran were to capture the missing American service member, it "fundamentally changes the equation." He criticised Trump for "patently ridiculous" claims about the US's military success in the war to this point.
Another Democratic congressman, Jamie Raskin, told CBS News the incidents appeared to be proof that the US military does not have "complete domination of the skies."
"You essentially can't bomb your way to victory," Raskin said.
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