US and Iran in Desperate Race to Recover Downed Fighter Pilot as Reward Offered

Tehran claims F-15 was shot down over Iranian airspace; US media reports one crew member rescued as regional war enters second month.

TEHRAN/WASHINGTON – Iranian and American forces were locked in a high-stakes race Saturday to locate a missing crew member of the first U.S. fighter jet to crash inside Iran since the outbreak of the widening Middle East war.

State-linked Iranian television reported that anyone who captures a surviving crew member alive will “receive a valuable reward,” as Tehran’s military claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft.

The U.S. military has not officially confirmed the loss of the F-15, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the incident. Trump later told NBC that the downing would not affect ongoing negotiations with Iran, stating flatly: “No, it’s war.”

According to U.S. media reports, American special forces have already rescued one of the jet’s two crew members, while the other remains missing. Iran’s military also claimed to have shot down a U.S. A-10 ground attack aircraft in the Gulf, though U.S. sources said that pilot was also rescued.

‘Completely Obliterated’

A spokesperson for Iran’s central operational command said the F-15 was “struck and destroyed” by the IRGC Aerospace Force’s advanced air defense system over central Iranian airspace, adding that the jet was “completely obliterated.”

The dramatic incident unfolded as fresh airstrikes hit Israel, Iran, and Lebanon. Explosions were heard in northern Tehran on Saturday, with Iranian state media reporting that 13 civilians were killed in a U.S. strike west of the capital.

Mockery and Warnings

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf mocked the Trump administration on X, writing: “After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from ‘regime change’ to ‘Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?’”

Meanwhile, Iran’s former foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, called for a deal to end the war, proposing curbs on Tehran’s nuclear program and reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran has effectively blocked the strategic waterway since the conflict began, disrupting one-fifth of global oil and natural gas supplies.

Regional Spillover

In Lebanon, the Israeli military said it has struck over 3,500 targets since fighting with Hezbollah escalated. Beirut was hit by two loud explosions early Saturday, with Lebanese health officials reporting more than 1,340 killed since the war began.

Gulf states, once seen as safe havens, are now under direct threat. A drone attack on a Kuwaiti oil refinery sparked fires, and Dubai confirmed debris from an aerial interception fell on a building near the marina, though no injuries were reported.