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 operation for its two pilots.
Iranian state media has encouraged citizens to hunt for the downed pilots, offering a "precious prize" for their capture, marking an escalation from previous incidents.
This event is one of several claims by Iran regarding the downing of U.S. aircraft since late February, occurring amidst various U.S. aircraft operations and incidents in the region.

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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.