WASHINGTON: Iran’s Fars news agency said on Friday (Apr 3) the army had launched a search for the pilot of a US fighter jet hit by an air defence system.
“Military forces have launched a search operation to find the American fighter pilot who was hit earlier today,” Fars said.
The incident is the first report of a US fighter jet being downed in Iranian territory since the United States and Israel launched its war against Tehran on Feb 28.
A local television station aired footage of what it said was the wreckage of a downed US jet.
It said the aircraft was targeted over central Iran and may have gone down in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, citing a police statement.
The statement urged residents of the area to join the hunt for the pilot or pilots, offering a bounty for the capture of any US servicemen.
A US official told Reuters on Friday that a US fighter jet was shot down over Iran, and a search and rescue operation was underway for any survivors.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not offer further details. The Pentagon and US Central Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Major US media outlets also reported the incident, with the New York Times quoting US and Israeli officials as confirming that Iran had shot down a fighter jet.
The Wall Street Journal and Axios reported that a search-and-rescue operation was underway by US forces, following what would be the first known loss of a jet inside Iran since President Donald Trump ordered the war.
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