Iranian and U.S. forces intensified a search Saturday for a missing American airman after Iran’s military said it shot down a U.S. fighter jet over southwestern Iran, officials and media reported, offering a bounty to anyone that finds the airman.
Iran’s state media released images of wreckage and urged local residents to help find the crew.
Iranian authorities then offered a reward for anyone who locates the missing pilot.
The U.S. military confirmed one of the two crew members ejected from the F‑15E Strike Eagle was rescued by American forces and is receiving medical care.
The second crew member remains unaccounted for.
U.S. helicopters, drones and reconnaissance aircraft joined the search in rugged terrain near where the jet went down.
Iranian officials say their forces are also searching the area.
The fighter jet was one of at least two U.S. military aircraft hit on Friday. An A‑10 attack plane was also struck, according to reports, though its pilot was rescued safely.
The incident marks the first known time a U.S. warplane has been brought down inside Iranian territory since the conflict began in late February.
The war, now in its sixth week, has seen heavy fighting, airstrikes and missile launches in the Middle East.
Tensions have grown as Iranian leaders publicly mocked U.S. efforts to recover the missing pilot, even as Washington presses its search.
The situation has added pressure on U.S. political leaders to consider the future of the military campaign.
