What we know so far about the US fighter jet shot down over Iran

The pilot of the downed jet has been safely rescued, but a search and rescue operation is still under way for the jet's second crew member, US media reports.

The United States said Sunday it rescued a service member missing behind enemy lines since Iran downed a fighter jet, as President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Tehran with a new looming deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran showed no signs of backing down, striking economic and infrastructure targets in neighboring Gulf Arab countries. The airman’s extraction followed a U.S. search-and-rescue operation after the Friday crash of the F-15E Strike Eagle, as Iran also promised a reward for anyone who turned in an 'enemy pilot.'

Iran shot down a United States fighter jet over central Iran in the first instance of a US aircraft being downed by enemy fire, a source with knowledge of the incident confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Friday. The source also confirmed that one of the jet's two pilots was rescued, and search-and-rescue operations are underway to locate the other. According to a New York Times report citing Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow who studies air power and technology at the Royal United Services Institute, the downed jet is suspected to be an F-15E Strike Eagle.

In a rare escalation, Iran has successfully shot down two U.S. military jets — an F-15E Strike Eagle and an A-10 — marking the first time in over 20 years that American jets have been downed by enemy fire. This event highlights Iran's persistent military capability despite extensive U.S.-Israeli airstrikes aimed at crippling its defenses. One U.S. pilot has been rescued, while another remains missing. Experts suggest shoulder-fired missiles were likely used, signaling Iran’s continued, although diminished, threat.

A U.S. aviator was successfully rescued from a remote, mountainous region of Iran nearly two days after his F-15E Strike Eagle was downed during ongoing conflict involving the U.S. and Israel, which began on February 28. President Donald Trump announced the dramatic extraction, highlighting that it marks the first dual rescue of U.S. pilots deep in enemy territory in recent military history.

As tensions in the Middle East escalate, President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Iran, demanding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by Monday or face devastating strikes on critical infrastructure. The threat follows the downing of a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle, prompting a dangerous rescue of its two-man crew from Iranian territory. Iran claims to have downed multiple U.S. aircraft during these operations.

On Friday, it emerged that an F-15E, an advanced U.S. fighter jet, had been shot down over Iran – the first American plane downed by enemy fire in the war. One pilot had been rescued, officials told ABC News, but a desperate search-and-rescue mission was underway for the second crew member of the two-seater aircraft. For two days, there was no word about the search. Then overnight Sunday, officials said the second crewman had been recovered. The airman, a colonel, had been trapped in the 'treacherous mountains of Iran' with the Iranian military closing in, President Donald Trump said. What unfolded was a massive operation that involved confusing the Iranian forces through misdirection, leading to the rescue 'deep in enemy Territory.'