Iran shoots down US fighter jet as one pilot rescued while the other remains missing
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: X/OSINTdefender
Iran has downed a US fighter jet in the southern region of the Middle Eastern country as the fallout from the joint US-Israel attack on the country in February continues.
CBS News first reported that the American F-15 fighter jet had been shot down, with Iran's state media claiming it was Iranian forces that downed the plane.
A search effort was immediately launched by the US, with images posted on social media showing a plane fuelling and two helicopters flying low over the Khuzestan Province.
This is a common procedure when it comes to search and rescue missions, the BBC reports.
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US officials told CBS News that one crew member from the flight has been rescued following the attack, while the search continues for a second crew member who was aboard the fighter jet.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has confirmed Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation in the Middle East.
It's the first known case of a US fighter jet being shot down over Iran since the war began in late February.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker, has seemingly mocked the US on X following latest developments.
"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 wrote on social media.