US F-15E fighter jet shot down over Iran

This is a developing story.

A United States F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet has been shot down by enemy fire over Iran, U.S. officials confirmed.

One of the aircraft’s two crew members has been rescued , Israeli media first reported. U.S. officials confirmed the reports in statements to CBS News and Axios.

A search for the second crew member is ongoing.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Military Times “the president has been briefed” on the downed fighter jet.

The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Officials in Iran, meanwhile, called for the search and capture of any surviving crew members of the jet, according to reports by the semi-official ISNA news agency and the Young Journalists Club.

The governor of one of the Islamic Republic’s provinces stated that anyone who captures or kills the crew would receive a special commendation.

Video circulating on social media appeared to show a low-flying U.S. Air Force HC-130 refueling a pair of HH-60G Pave Hawks over Iran while conducting a search for the downed crew.

Iranian state media on Friday shared images of aircraft debris alongside claims that Iran had downed a U.S. F-35 fighter jet.

However, images of the aircraft’s tailfin, specifically the red stripe on its vertical stabilizer, are consistent with markings used by the 494th Fighter Squadron , 48th Fighter Wing, based at RAF Lakenheath.

Iran also shared an image of an Advanced Concept Ejection Seat allegedly from the shot down F-15E.

The search-and-rescue effort inside Iran during an ongoing conflict greatly raises the stakes for the United States.

U.S. Central Command on Tuesday issued a statement denying claims that “Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps downed an ‘enemy’ fighter jet over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.”

“All U.S. fighter aircraft are accounted for,” the CENTCOM statement read. “Iran’s IRGC has made the same false claim at least half a dozen times.”

The location of the downed jet has not yet been confirmed.

The shoot-down marks the first time during Operation Epic Fury that a manned U.S. aircraft has been brought down by enemy fire.

A U.S. F-35 fighter jet was reportedly hit by enemy fire during a combat mission over Iran on March 19, but was able to make an emergency landing at a U.S. air base in the region.

Six U.S. airmen were killed on March 12 when their KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during combat operations.

On March 1, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were shot down by a Kuwaiti F/A-18 in a friendly fire incident. All six F-15 crew members ejected and were safely recovered.

A total of 13 U.S. service members have been killed during combat actions against Iran.

As of March 31, 348 U.S. personnel have been wounded, Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, U.S. Central Command spokesperson, told DefenseScoop . Of those injured, the majority have since returned to duty. Six remain seriously wounded.

Reuters contributed to this report.

J.D. Simkins is Editor-in-Chief of Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.

Nikki Wentling is a senior editor at Military Times. She's reported on veterans and military communities for over a decade and has also covered technology, politics, health care and crime. Her work has earned multiple honors from the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors and others.

这是一个正在发展中的新闻。

美国官员证实，一架美国F-15E“攻击鹰”战斗机在伊朗上空被敌方火力击落。

以色列媒体率先报道，飞机上的两名机组人员中已有一人获救。美国官员随后向哥伦比亚广播公司新闻网（CBS News）和Axios新闻网证实了这一消息。

对第二名船员的搜寻仍在进行中。

白宫新闻秘书卡罗琳·莱维特告诉《军事时报》，“总统已经听取了关于被击落战斗机的简报”。

五角大楼和美国中央司令部尚未对此事作出回应。

据伊朗半官方通讯社ISNA和青年记者俱乐部报道，伊朗官员呼吁搜寻并抓捕飞机上任何幸存的机组人员。

伊朗伊斯兰共和国某省省长表示，任何抓获或击毙该船员的人都将获得特别嘉奖。

社交媒体上流传的视频似乎显示，一架低空飞行的美国空军 HC-130 飞机在伊朗上空为两架 HH-60G 铺路鹰直升机加油，同时搜寻被击落的机组人员。

伊朗国家媒体周五发布了飞机残骸的图片，并声称伊朗击落了一架美国F-35战斗机。

然而，飞机尾翼的图像，特别是垂直尾翼上的红色条纹，与驻扎在莱肯希思皇家空军基地的第 48 战斗机联队第 494 战斗机中队使用的标志一致。

伊朗还分享了一张据称来自被击落的 F-15E 战斗机的先进概念弹射座椅的图片。

在伊朗境内持续冲突的情况下开展搜救行动，大大增加了美国的风险。

美国中央司令部周二发表声明，否认了“伊朗革命卫队在霍尔木兹海峡的格什姆岛上空击落一架‘敌方’战斗机”的说法。

美国中央司令部声明称：“所有美国战斗机均已清点完毕。伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队至少六次发表了同样的虚假声明。”

坠毁飞机的具体位置尚未确定。

这次击落事件标志着“史诗狂怒行动”中，美军有人驾驶飞机首次被敌方火力击落。

据报道，3月19日，一架美国F-35战斗机在伊朗上空执行作战任务时遭到敌方火力击中，但成功在该地区的一个美国空军基地紧急降落。

3月12日，一架KC-135加油机在伊拉克西部执行作战任务时坠毁，造成6名美国空军飞行员丧生。

3月1日，三架美国F-15E“攻击鹰”战斗机在一次友军误击事件中被一架科威特F/A-18战斗机击落。机上六名F-15机组人员全部弹射逃生，并安全获救。

在对伊朗的战斗行动中，共有13名美国军人阵亡。

截至3月31日，美国中央司令部发言人、海军上校蒂姆·霍金斯告诉DefenseScoop网站，已有348名美军人员受伤。其中大部分伤者已重返岗位，仍有6人伤势严重。

路透社对本报道亦有贡献。

JD Simkins 是《军事时报》和《防务新闻》的总编辑，也是参加过伊拉克战争的海军陆战队老兵。

妮基·温特林是《军事时报》的高级编辑。她从事退伍军人和军人社区报道十余年，也曾涉猎科技、政治、医疗保健和犯罪等领域。她的作品曾多次荣获全国无家可归退伍军人联盟、阿肯色州美联社执行编辑协会等机构颁发的奖项。