One of the two U.S. crew members of a U.S. fighter jet that was shot down over Iran was rescued by U.S. forces, a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Hill on Friday.
A search and rescue is underway for the other service member, whose status is unclear. Both crew members ejected from the aircraft.
The House Armed Services Committee was notified by the Pentagon on Friday that the status of the second F-15E Strike Eagle service member is not known, a congressional aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Hill.
Typically, it means that the Pentagon doesn’t know the service member’s location.
A U.S. Air Force UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was hit by Iran on Friday, but it was able to escape after engaging in a rescue search for the F-15E crew, a source familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to share operational matters, told The Hill.
Iran’s armed forces shot down the Air Force fighter plane, Iranian state media reported earlier Friday, in what would be the first time that Tehran downed an American jet since the war broke out five weeks ago.
The U.S. Central Command, which oversees the U.S. military’s actions in the region, did not respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
Iranian state media released photos purportedly showing parts of the plane, indicating it was a U.S. F-15 fighter jet.
Tasnim News Agency, the semiofficial news outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that the U.S. sent out a C-130 Hercules plane and Black Hawk helicopters to look for the crew.
Last week, an Iranian missile struck a base in Saudi Arabia, destroying a U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry, an early warning and control aircraft, which costs about $300 million.
Kuwait “mistakenly” downed three U.S. F-15 fighter jets in early March, the U.S. military said at the time.
Updated at 5:13 p.m. EDT
