Iran Shoots Down U.S. F-15 Fighter Jet, Rescue Mission Begins For Pilot

This isn’t good.

Reports have surfaced from both Axios and the New York Times that a U.S. F-15 was shot down in Southern Iran.

Videos on X , show U.S. Blackhawks and surveillance planes flying at low altitudes in Iran in an attempt to find the pilot of the F-15 who possibly ejected from the plane before it crashed.

Stars and Stripes had these details to share:

A search and rescue effort was underway on Friday afternoon to locate the crew of a U.S. fighter jet that was shot down in Iran, The New York Times reported, citing U.S. officials.

Iranian state media on Friday circulated photos and videos of debris from what appeared to be an F-15 fighter jet, including an ejection seat, claiming it had been shot down. Videos also appeared to show a C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft and two UH-60 Black Hawks that Iranian media claimed were part of the search effort.

Axios also confirmed the news, citing a source familiar with the incident. Iranian state media was urging residents to hand over any “enemy pilot” to police and promised a reward for anyone who did, The Associated Press reported. Since the war began, Iran has made at least six false claims about shooting down U.S. aircraft, all of which American officials have denied. U.S. Central Command did not respond to a request for comment from Stars and Stripes. This would be the first time Iran has successfully downed a U.S. aircraft since Operation Epic Fury began more than a month ago.

The reported crash comes as President Donald Trump suggests the U.S. will wrap up its mission in two to three weeks. Trump on Friday celebrated a U.S. strike on a major bridge west of Tehran, threatening more strikes against Iran’s infrastructure if a deal is not made quickly.

Take a look:

A U.S. Air Force HC-130J “Combat King II” Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) Aircraft seen flying extremely low over the countryside of Southern Iran, as the search continues for the crew of a downed American F-15E Strike Eagle. pic.twitter.com/vQL7umqmYy

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 3, 2026

🚨🇺🇸🇮🇷 An ACES II ejection seat has been found inside Iran.

That seat only shows up one way: someone pulled the handle.

It’s used on jets like the F-15 Strike Eagle.

Source: @TabzLIVE https://t.co/rh8PB6ct4D pic.twitter.com/WhXjxDapoH

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 3, 2026

The New York Times confirmed the reports:

Iran shot down a U.S. fighter jet over the country, U.S. and Israeli officials as well as Iranian state-affiliated media said on Friday.

The fate of the plane’s crew was unclear, as American officials scrambled to mount a search and rescue operation before Iran could get to any survivors, said the U.S. and Israeli officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.

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