On Friday, April 3, 2026, reports surfaced that a US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over southern Iran, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing “Operation Epic Fury” conflict.
Iranian state media initially claimed to have downed an advanced F-35 but aviation experts identified wreckage including a distinct tail fin from the 494th Fighter Squadron as belonging to an F-15E.
The incident has triggered a high-stakes search and rescue mission.
Social media footage showed US C-130 tankers and HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters flying low within Iranian territory to locate the two-person crew.
Justin Bronk, an aviation expert, noted that the specialized aircraft indicate “a combat search and rescue mission is underway to locate and extract the two aircrew.”
While Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters claimed the pilot’s “chances of survival are slim,” images of an ejected ACES II seat suggest at least one member may have escaped the jet.
Bronk added, “If genuine it would suggest that at least one of the two aircrew did eject safely.”
US officials have confirmed the loss off the record, though the Pentagon has not yet issued a formal statement. This marks the first American crewed aircraft lost over Iranian soil since the war began.
