The US and Iran are locked in a race against time to find the American pilot who went missing after an American warplane was shot down by the IRGC on Friday with Tehran now calling people to join the search and even promising a reward. Iran said a US F-15E Strike Eagle was among two aircraft attacked on Friday, with one service member rescued and at least one still missing. It marked the first confirmed loss of a US aircraft in Iranian territory during the war, now in its sixth week, and could signal a turning point in the campaign.
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No official information has been given by either the White House or the Pentagon on the downed aircraft.
The conflict, launched by the US and Israel on February 28, has had wide regional and global repercussions. Thousands have been killed, global markets disrupted, key shipping routes affected and fuel prices pushed higher.
The downing of the aircraft came just two days after President Donald Trump said in a national address that the US had “beaten and completely decimated Iran”ย and would โfinish the job very fastโ. The US and Israel had also recently claimed that Iranโs air defences were largely destroyed.
US, Iran’s frantic search for American pilot
While the US military continued its search and rescue operations for the missing F-15E pilot. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have also launched a manhunt in a southwestern region of the country. The regional governor has also announced a commendation and reward for anyone who captures or kills what were described as hostile enemy forces.
US officials provided limited details about the aircraft incidents. The Pentagon, in a communication obtained byย The Associated Press, confirmed it had received notification of an aircraft being shot down in the Middle East without elaborating.
One crew member was rescued, while the status of another remained unknown.
Trump silent on jets downing, focusing on talks with Iran
President Trump, speaking briefly to NBC News, declined to comment on the rescue efforts but said the incident would not affect negotiations with Iran.
Iranian state media also reported that a US A-10 aircraft crashed in the Persian Gulf after being hit by Iranian forces. However, a US official said it was unclear whether the aircraft had crashed or been shot down, or whether Iran was directly involved. Details about the crew and the exact location remained uncertain.
An anchor on Iranian state television urged residents to report any captured โenemy pilotโ to authorities. Throughout the war, Iran has made several claims of downing enemy aircraft that later proved unverified, though this was the first time the public was asked to help locate a pilot.
Another Iranian nuclear site hit
Iranโs atomic agency said an airstrike hit near the Bushehr nuclear facility on Saturday, killing a security guard and damaging a support building. It was the fourth such strike on the site during the war, the agency said in a social media post.
Fighting showed no signs of easing on Saturday, with Iran continuing missile and drone attacks in response to US and Israeli strikes. An apparent Iranian drone also damaged the Dubai headquarters of US technology firm Oracle.
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