“US Fighter Jet Shot Down by Iran, Pilot at Risk”

Iran’s announcement of downing a US F-15E fighter jet has led to the governor of a southwestern Iranian province offering commendation to anyone who captures or kills the American pilot. A local channel also stated rewards for civilians who capture the pilot alive, urging public participation in shooting down aircraft. State-affiliated Iranian channels reported that the US fighter pilot ejected from the aircraft over southwestern Iran, marking the first known loss of a jet within Iran. US officials are engaged in a combat search and rescue operation to extract the pilot from Iranian territory. Iranian media shared images of American aircraft flying over the area, while visuals of metal debris at a possible crash site were also aired. Additionally, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have shot down a second F-35 fighter jet over central Iran, stating that the aircraft belonged to the US Air Force’s Lakenheath squadron and was completely destroyed upon impact. This claim follows a previous assertion by Iranian forces that they had downed the first-ever F-35 in combat.