The US military began a search and rescue operation after the alleged shooting down of a US fighter in Iranian territory, according to the Iranian news agency Fars and US sources confirmed to international media. This event marks the first known case of a US plane crashing inside hostile territory in the conflict that has lasted for more than a month
.Fars noted that an air defense system of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force hit and destroyed a fighter identified by them as an F-35. However, analysis of the published images suggests that it would be an F-15, belonging to the 48th Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath, in the United Kingdom. Fragments of the aircraft showed a partial logo of the “US Air Forces in Europe” and safety warnings typical of an F-15, which was confirmed by experts
.The fate of the pilots was not immediately clear. Initially, Fars indicated that the plane had been “completely destroyed” and that it was unlikely that they had managed to eject. Subsequently, Iranian media reported that ground forces had launched an operation to locate the pilots or the wreckage of the plane. In addition, state television and allied agencies urged civilians to collaborate in the capture of the “enemy pilot”, even offering rewards, raising concerns about the safety of the population and possible violations of international norms regarding non-combat combatants.
