Crew member from downed F-15 fighter jet rescued by US forces

One crew member from the downed F-15 fighter jet in southern Iran has been rescued, the AP news agency reported.

The crew member was rescued by US forces.

It is not known how many crew members were on board.

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Updated at 12.44 EDT

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The day so far

• Less than 48 hours after Donald Trump boasted in his primetime address to the nation that Iran has been “completely decimated”, a frantic effort remains under way to locate a missing crew member after a US fighter jet was shot down over southern Iran on Friday. It marks the first time an American crewed combat aircraft has been shot down over hostile territory since the US launched its invasion of Iraq in 2003. One US service member was rescued after the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter was downed, and a scramble is on to find the second crew member before the Iranians.

• The circumstances surrounding the downing of the jet remain unclear, and there has still been no official comment from the US government or military. Iranian state media has urged citizens to look for the missing US crew members and promised rewards for handing them over. Trump has repeatedly claimed the war is “already won” and “near completion”, and that Iran’s military capabilities have been decimated – contrary to US intelligence that roughly half of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers are still intact despite over a month of US-Israeli strikes against military targets in the country.

• Trump has been briefed on the incident, the White House confirmed. The US president hasn’t commented publicly, though he did tell NBC News that it wouldn’t affect negotiations with Iran, and declined to comment to The Independent on what the United States would do if the missing pilot is captured. Trump’s national security team has gathered in the West Wing and has been providing updates to the president about the downed US jet all day. He has been working in the Oval Office, or adjacent Oval dining room, since this morning, receiving frequent briefings on the ongoing search and rescue operation.

• A second US aircraft was struck by Iranian fire after the F-15 fighter jet was downed, according to reports. A single-pilot aircraft – an A-10 Thunderbolt, known as a Warthog – that was mobilised to support the search and rescue mission was then also struck by Iranian fire. The aircraft reportedly crashed after making it to Kuwaiti airspace, where the pilot ejected and was safely rescued.

• Iran also reportedly hit two UH 60 Blackhawk helicopters involved in the search and rescue. A US official told NBC News there were minor injuries to service members from that strike but all of them are safe.

• Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf appeared to mock the United States after reports emerged of the downed fighter jet. He wrote on X: “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?’.” He added: “Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses.”

• Meanwhile, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said Tehran had rejected a US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire, citing an unnamed source. The source said the proposal was made on Wednesday through another country, which was not named. There was no immediate comment or confirmation from the US. Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had officially told mediators it is unwilling to meet with US officials in Islamabad in the coming days. As we reported earlier this week, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said that Tehran will only accept a permanent and comprehensive end to the war – not a ceasefire.

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Updated at 18.45 EDT

Bahrain’s interior ministry has said four people have been injured and homes damaged in the Sitra area after shrapnel fell from the interception of an Iranian drone.

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Trump earlier posted a vague message about oil, writing on his Truth Social platform:

double quotation markKEEP THE OIL, ANYONE?

It comes after he said in a separate post earlier on Friday that the United States could “easily” reopen the strait of Hormuz, a markedly difference stance after he has repeatedly insisted that other countries are and should be responsible for reopening the critical waterway.

double quotation markWith a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE.

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In a brief interview with The Independent, Donald Trump declined to say what the United States will do if the missing F-15 crew member forced to eject after being shot down over Iran is harmed.

Asked what he would do if the pilot is captured or harmed by Iranians, Trump replied:

double quotation markWell, I can’t comment on it because — we hope that’s not going to happen.

He apparently ended the call shortly thereafter.

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NBC News appears to have gained more clarity on the timeline of what happened when a US fighter jet was shot down by Iran on Friday and how many US aircraft have been hit.

A second US aircraft was struck by Iranian fire after the F-15 fighter jet was downed earlier on Friday, NBC News reports, citing a US official.

After Iran struck down the F-15, a single-pilot aircraft that was mobilised to support the search and rescue mission also was struck by Iranian fire. That single-pilot aircraft was an A-10 Thunderbolt, known as a Warthog, the official said.

The A-10 made it to Kuwaiti air space, where the pilot ejected and the aircraft crashed, the official said. The pilot is safe and the A-10 is down in Kuwait, according to the official.

Iran also hit two UH 60 Blackhawk helicopters involved in the search and rescue, and the official said there were minor injuries to service members from that strike but all of them are safe.

In total, Iran has caused two military aircraft to crash – the F-15 and the A-10 – and hit two Blackhawk helicopters in a single day.

This is all less than 48 hours after Donald Trump boasted in his primetime address to the nation that Iran has been “completely decimated”.

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Updated at 16.51 EDT

In addition, US Central Command notified the House armed services committee earlier on Friday of the downing of the US F-15, with one service member recovered and the second crew member’s status still unknown, a congressional aide with knowledge of the matter told CBS News.

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National security team briefing Trump on search operations

Donald Trump’s national security team has gathered in the West Wing and has been providing updates to the president about the downed US jet all day, a senior White House official has told NBC News.

The US president has been working in the Oval Office, or adjacent Oval dining room, since this morning, receiving frequent briefings on the ongoing search and rescue operation in Iran, the official added.

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Iran says it shot down a US A10 aircraft, state media reports

The Tasnim news agency is reporting that “an American A10 aircraft was shot by the defence systems of the Army Air Defence Force and crashed in the Persian Gulf in southern Iran”, citing the Iranian Army.

It said that it was shot down hours ago around the strait of Hormuz.

Earlier, the New York Times reported that an A-10 Warthog attack plane went down near the strait of Hormuz about the same time that an Air Force F-15E was shot down over Iran. According to the NYT’s sources, the lone pilot of the A-10 Warthog was safely rescued.

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Two helicopters involved in search and rescue of downed jet struck by Iranian fire – report

Two US military helicopters that were involved in the F-15 search and rescue efforts were struck by Iranian fire, but the service members are all safe, a US official has told NBC News.

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Updated at 16.18 EDT

Two US military helicopters involved in the F-15 search and rescue efforts were struck by Iranian fire, a US official told NBC News.

All service members on the helicopters are safe, the official added.

One of the crew members from the downed jet in southern Iran was rescued and the search is still reportedly under way for the second crew member, a weapon systems officer.

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The death toll from the air strikes on a bridge in Karaj, near Tehran in Alborz province, on Thursday has risen to 13, according to Amirhossein Daneshkohan, director deneral of the Alborz Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs in Iran.

Daneshkohan said the deceased were from “all walks of life”, including “municipal employees”.

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‘We’re in war’: Trump says downing US jet won’t affect negotiations with Iran

Donald Trump has said the shooting down of an American F-15 fighter jet will not affect negotiations with Iran, in his first comments on the incident.

In a brief interview with NBC News, the US president refused to discuss the specifics of ongoing search and rescue efforts in Iran.

But he expressed frustration about some of the coverage of what is plainly an intense and sensitive rescue operation.

Asked if today’s events will affect any peace talks, he said:

double quotation markNo, not at all.

No, it’s war. We’re in war.

As we reported earlier, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said a US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire has been rejected, citing an unnamed source.

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Updated at 16.10 EDT

Iran’s air defence system targeted an “enemy” A-10 aircraft in southern waters near the Hormuz Strait, the nation’s state media said.

The New York Times reported earlier that a second U.S. Air Force combat plane had crashed in the Gulf region on Friday and its only pilot was rescued.

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An Iranian defence official has insisted the country will not be “swayed by clamour and empty shows”.

Ali Akbar Ahmadian, representative of the leader of the revolution in the Islamic Republic’s Defence Council, also said Iran will not “retreat under threats”, Sky News reported.

He said: “This region is our playing field, and responses are based on rational and realistic calculations, not Hollywood-style theatrics.”

“The Islamic Revolution, in its first step, expelled America from Iran,” he added, before saying the second step is expelling US forces “from the region”.

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Israel’s military has delayed strikes in the area of Iran where the search for missing US fighter jet crew is under way, according to the AP news agency.

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Second US Air Force plane crashed in Persian Gulf region – NYT

A second US Air Force combat plane crashed in the Persian Gulf region on Friday, and the lone pilot was safely rescued, two US officials have told the New York Times.

The A-10 Warthog attack plane went down near the Strait of Hormuz about the same time that an Air Force F-15E was shot down over Iran, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters.

The NYT noted that officials provided scant details about the A-10 crash, including how and where it happened.

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Updated at 14.53 EDT

Tehran rejects 48-hour US ceasefire proposal, Iranian media reports

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency has said Tehran has rejected a US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire, citing an unnamed source.

The source said the proposal was made on Wednesday through another country, which was not named.

There was no immediate comment or confirmation from the US. We’ll bring you that as soon as we get it.

Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had officially told mediators it is unwilling to meet with US officials in Islamabad in the coming days.

As we reported earlier this week, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Tehran would only accept a permanent and comprehensive end to the war – not a temporary ceasefire – as well as other demands like reparations for the damage caused.

He had also stressed that Tehran hadn’t yet responded to the US’s 15-point proposal, but he did say that trust between the two countries was at “zero”, and that some of Washington’s demands were “excessive”.

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Updated at 14.35 EDT

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, had this take as US forces search for missing crew from the downed fighter jet.

double quotation markThis brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from ‘regime change’ to ‘Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?’

Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses.

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Meanwhile, Iranian state media urged citizens to look for the missing US crew members and promised rewards for handing them over.

An IRIB anchor told viewers: “If you capture and hand over a pilot or pilots of the enemy alive to the law enforcement and military forces, you will receive a valuable reward and prize.”

And on ISNA, the governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province promised a reward of ten billion tomans (about $76,000) for anyone who hands over the “criminal American pilot”.

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