2 US military planes downed in combat against Iran Friday: reports
RPT: 1 US pilot rescued after jet downed over Iran
One of the two U.S. pilots shot down over Iran has been rescued, according to Reuters.
A second U.S. military plane has reportedly gone down in combat against Iran Friday after an F-15E fighter jet crashed inside Iran, according to multiple reports.
The Washington Post and Fox News Digital report that an A-10 Warthog attack plane was also hit by incoming fire. The Post report says the A-10 pilot was able to fly the damaged plane to Kuwaiti airspace before he ejected and was safely rescued. The New York Times reports that the plane crashed in the Persian Gulf before the pilot was rescued.
One of the F-15E pilots that crashed in southern Iran was rescued. They're still searching for the second crew member.
According to The Post, two Blackhawk helicopters were also hit, injuring crew members, but both aircraft made it back to base.
FILE - Four U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles sit positioned on the runway during exercise Marauder Shield 26.1 within an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Nov. 11, 2025. (Handout photo by Staff Sgt. Tylin Rust
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a previous statement that President Donald Trump had been briefed but did not offer any additional information.
Dig deeper:
U.S. Central Command has several task forces set up near Iran in the event they need to execute a search and rescue for American troops that may be shot down, according to a New York Times report.
An anchor on Iran state broadcast reportedly read a statement on TV calling on local residents to capture the "enemy's pilot or pilots" and turn them alive in to security forces.
In return, a reward was offered for the pilot or pilots' capture, according to the Times.
The aircraft was identified as an F-15E Strike Eagle.
The backstory:
Four U.S. military planes had gone down during the Iran war before Friday’s search and rescue operation.
In those previous incidents, three fighter jets were hit by friendly fire over Kuwait and a refueling tanker plane that crashed in Iraq following an incident with another U.S. aircraft.
The KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq while supporting operations in Iran. All six crew members aboard the aircraft died. U.S. officials attributed the crash to an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in "friendly airspace," and said the other plane landed safely.
Separately, three U.S. F-15E fighter jets were mistakenly targeted by friendly Kuwaiti fire. All six crew members ejected safely.
US pilot ejected after fighter jet hit, Iran says
A US fighter pilot was ejected from their aircraft after it was hit over southwestern Iran, a local channel of Iranian state television said. LiveNOW's Josh Breslow breaks down the latest details with Kevin Miller, a retired U.S. Navy Captain.
Thousands of US troops sent to Middle East
By the numbers:
Earlier this week, the U.S. sent thousands of more troops aboard the USS George H.W. Bush, as well as three destroyers, to the Middle East.
The carrier strike group consists of more than 6,000 sailors.
While the majority of those troops are part of a rotation of forces planned before the war, some are among roughly 1,500 paratroopers the Trump administration decided to surge into the region last week.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and reporting by The New York Times and Reuters. This story was reported from San Jose.