A high-stakes search is underway in southern Iran as American and Iranian forces race to locate a missing crew member from a US F-15E fighter jet shot down by Iranian air defences on Friday.
One of the two crew members has been rescued, but the second — a weapons systems officer — remains unaccounted for, according to US media reports citing officials.
The downing of the warplane marks the first time an American manned aircraft has been shot down by Iranian forces since the war began five weeks ago. Verified video footage shows US helicopters and aircraft conducting search operations over Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran.
Iranian authorities have mobilised their own search effort. State-affiliated media announced a “valuable reward” for any citizen who helps capture the missing airman alive. Reports indicate the reward is approximately $66,000 (£50,000) — a strikingly high amount compared to Iran’s average monthly salary of £150 to £230.
The governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, where the airman is believed to have landed, has urged residents in remote areas to assist in locating the pilot. Videos circulating on social media show armed civilians in the province searching for the missing crew member, with one individual saying, “God willing, we will find him.”
The rescue operation has not been without incident. A US Black Hawk helicopter involved in the search was hit by Iranian ground fire but managed to return safely to Iraq, officials said.
A second US aircraft, an A-10 Warthog attack plane, was also shot down near the Strait of Hormuz during the search mission. That pilot ejected over the Gulf and was safely rescued, according to CBS News.
The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation. When asked by NBC whether the downing would affect negotiations with Iran, Trump responded, “No, not at all. No, it’s war.”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf mocked the US effort on social media, writing: “This brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from ‘regime change’ to ‘Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?'”
Military experts say the search is extremely time-sensitive. “These are Air Force special operations people who are trained almost to the level of Delta Force and Navy SEAL Team Six,” James Jeffrey, a former top US diplomat, told the BBC. “They will not give up until they can find a pilot if they think there’s any chance.”
The Pentagon reported that 365 US service members have been wounded in action since the start of the war, with 13 confirmed deaths.
