An A-10 Warthog fighter jet crashed near the the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, at about the same that an was shot down over Iran, The New York Times reported, citing sources. In he incident, the lone pilot was rescued. This comes as American officials have launched a massive search operation for one of the two members on the F-15 that went down in Iran.
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F-15 shot down in Iran
Earlier in the day, US and Iranian officials confirmed that two members of an F-15E ejected themselves after the jet was shot down. One crew member was rescued. The other one’s status is not known yet.
The rescue occurred as the US military was conducting a search and rescue operation, AP reported citing three people familiar with the matter. Iranian state media has claimed in a post on X that Iran’s military shot down a US F-15E Strike Eagle.
According to an email from the Pentagon obtained by The AP, the USmilitary said that it received notification of ‘an aircraft being shot down’ in the Middle East. The email did not provide more details.
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a previous statement that President Donald Trump had been briefed but did not offer any additional information.
The aircraft involved, identified as an F-15E Strike Eagle, typically carries two personnel, a pilot and a weapons systems officer.
Black Hawk shot down
Meanwhile, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency claimed that air defense systems targeted US aircraft involved in the mission. Tehran even alleged that a UH-60 helicopter participating in the search-and-rescue effort was shot down in Iraqi airspace, though US officials have not confirmed this.
Iranian media also reported that multiple American assets, including helicopters and C-130 Hercules aircraft, were deployed to locate the missing crew member. According to those reports, some of the aircraft withdrew after coming under fire from Iranian air defenses.
As the situation unfolded, Iranian broadcasters issued stark warnings to civilians, urging them to assist in locating any surviving American personnel. In some instances, state-linked messaging escalated further, calling on the public to report or even confront what they described as an ‘enemy pilot’, with rewards promised for cooperation.
Social media footage, circulated by Iranian outlets, appeared to show low-flying aircraft, including a C-130 and accompanying helicopters, operating over southern Iran.
Iranian media also claimed that a separate US fighter jet, identified as an F-35, had been downed over central Iran by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ air defense systems. However, US officials did not confirm this incident.
So far, neither US Central Command nor the White House has issued an official response to the latest claims.
(With AP inputs)
