Race against time to find F-15 crew in Iran - US aircraft on search operation under fire - VIDEO

American forces scrambled to locate a missing crew member after Iran shot down a US F-15E Strike Eagle on Friday, rescuing one service member while continuing efforts to find the second, whose status remains unclear.

Iranian state media, meanwhile, reported that an additional US A-10 attack aircraft was also hit and crashed, though US media claimed that its pilot was safely recovered, News.Az reports, citing Hindustan Times.

Several unverified videos circulating on social media appear to show widespread US military search-and-rescue operations inside Iran, with helicopters and aircraft seen flying over the region. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the clips.

BREAKING: US search and rescue operation currently underway deep inside Iran. A C-130 and two Black Hawk helicopters flying at low altitude over southern Iran to recover the downed F-15E pilots. Iranian channels are publishing footage of the aircraft over Kohgiluyeh province.… pic.twitter.com/j2sLsSxyg5

— The Hormuz Letter (@HormuzLetter) April 3, 2026

Raising the stakes even further, an Iranian television reporter has said that anyone capturing the US crew member alive would “receive a valuable reward”.

News.Az