Iran claimed this Friday to have shot down two American combat aircraft, including an F-15E Strike Eagle near Tehran—an account now verified by U.S. officials, marking a major setback for American forces.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards and state media reported downing an A-10 Thunderbolt, hit by air defenses and crashing into Gulf waters, with its pilot rescued by U.S. forces. The F-15E Strike Eagle suffered a worse fate, struck south of Tehran before plummeting to earth.
By early afternoon, Axios confirmed one jet downed with its two crew members missing. The New York Times, citing U.S. sources, followed at 4 p.m., noting the crew’s fate remained unknown.
Iranian outlets aired footage of apparent F-15 wreckage, corroborated by analysts, alongside images of an ejection seat. State TV offered a $60,000 bounty for capturing the pilot and navigator, suggesting they evaded capture.
“Capture the enemy pilot or pilots alive and hand them to police and armed forces for a generous reward,” police announced via broadcast. Fars News added that forces were hunting the F-15 pilot after the midday strike.
A U.S. official told NBC the A-10, searching for the F-15 crew, took Iranian fire near the Strait of Hormuz. The pilot ejected safely over Kuwaiti airspace as the jet crashed.
Two UH-60 Black Hawk rescue helicopters also sustained hits, injuring several aboard lightly but with all personnel now safe.
Multiple U.S. sources acknowledged losing both aircraft in combat operations.
These incidents highlight Iran’s air defenses—including the IRGC’s new aerospace system—successfully targeting stealth-capable fifth-generation jets.
The losses directly challenge President Trump’s recent claim that Iranian antiaircraft systems stood “100% destroyed.”