Search and Rescue Underway for U.S. Fighter Pilots in Iran

Iranian officials appearing on state media encourage citizens to hunt for American airmen.

Jack Daleo

Friday, April 03, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The F-15E Strike Eagle is a long-range U.S. military fighter jet. [Credit: U.S. Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew]

Key Takeaways:

A U.S. F-15E fighter jet was reportedly shot down over Iran, prompting a search and rescue effort for its two pilots.
Iran claimed responsibility for shooting down the jet and, for the first time, used state media to encourage citizens to capture the pilots for a reward.
This incident follows multiple claims by Iran of shooting down U.S. aircraft since American strikes in the region began in late February, including an F-35 and an E-3 Sentry.

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A search and rescue effort is underway to locate the two pilots of a U.S. fighter jet after it was shot down over Iran, Axios reported Friday, citing an unnamed source familiar with the situation.

Multiple reports earlier Friday, citing Iranian media, stated that an American pilot was ejected from the aircraft, claimed to be an F-15E Strike Eagle—a highly advanced, long-range fighter that reaches speeds up to Mach 2.5. An unverified social media post purports to show one of the two ejection seats.