The U.S. military launched a frantic search operation Saturday for a missing F-15E Strike Eagle pilot shot down over Iran, marking the first loss of an American warplane in Iranian territory during the ongoing conflict. The Pentagon confirmed one crew member was rescued, but the status of a second remains unknown.
Conflict Escalates as Iran Mobilizes Public
Iranian state media called on citizens to locate and turn in the 'enemy pilot,' offering a reward for assistance. This development follows heightened tensions in the six-week war, which has seen thousands killed, global markets disrupted, and critical shipping routes severed.
'We have beaten and completely decimated Iran,' President Trump stated in a national address just two days before the F-15 incident.
Regional Strikes Continue
The downing of the F-15 occurred amid ongoing missile and drone strikes across the region. An apparent Iranian drone damaged the Dubai headquarters of U.S. tech giant Oracle, while Israel reported missile launches from Iran. Near Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility, a security guard was killed in an airstrike, marking the fourth attack on the site since the war began.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated willingness to join peace talks in Islamabad, though no formal negotiations have been scheduled. The U.S. military refrained from releasing detailed information about the downed planes, confirming only that search efforts are concentrated in Iran's southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province.