Article By Frank Bergman
One of two U.S. pilots in the F-15 fighter jet, which went down in Iran, has been rescued by American forces, according to reports.
Early reports said the pilot is alive and receiving medical treatment.
The two-seater plane went down over Iran earlier today.
The jet was reportedly downed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
A U.S. official has reportedly told NBC News that one of the plane’s pilots has been rescued alive.
Officials have not commented so far on how the jet went down.
No formal comment has been issued by the American military yet.
Earlier, Reuters reported an American official saying that the jet had been shot down.
Iranian media has been claiming throughout Friday that Iran’s forces had taken down an American jet.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a simple update on the situation.
“President Trump has been briefed,” Leavitt said.
Iranian state media on Friday released photos of what it claimed to be the wreckage of a US Air Force fighter jet.
The Iranian reports said the jet was an F-35 stealth fighter.
However, images suggest it was more likely to be an F-15.
One of two crew members of the jet was located and rescued by U.S. special forces.
The search for the second is ongoing.
The status of a second crew member is not immediately clear.
Israel is helping the U.S. with intelligence in order to locate the other crew member, officials said.
Meanwhile, Iran is also hunting for the plane’s crew members.
Iranian state media was the first to report that a jet had been shot down.
The regime has asked civilians in the area to join the search.
State TV told Iranians that anyone who located the U.S. troops would be rewarded by the government.
Iranian state news media Tasnim agency reported that local traders in the southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province were offering a reward of 10 billion tomans ($76,000) for anyone who finds the crew alive.
An Iranian soccer player offered medals he won while playing for Persepolis FC as a reward, too.
The remaining pilot would be a valuable prisoner for Iran.
The situation is increasing pressure on search teams to locate the crew members before the Iranians do.
An Israeli official said Israel cancelled planned strikes in Iran so as not to hamper the search and rescue efforts.
Three F-15Es were previously shot down by friendly fire during the war.
13 Americans have been killed so far during the campaign.
However, this is the first time since the beginning of the war that a U.S. jet was downed by enemy fire.
Be the first to comment