03.04.2026 17:34
Iran announced that a US warplane was shot down in the central regions of the country. While Iran's official news agency Tasnim claimed that the pilot was captured, state television announced that a reward would be given to anyone who captures the pilot or pilots of the downed warplane alive.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it shot down an F-35 fighter jet with air defense systems in the central regions of the country.
In the statement from the Revolutionary Guard Corps, it was said, "An advanced American-made F-35 fighter jet was destroyed by the advanced air defense system of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in the skies of central Iran."
IMAGES SHARED
Images allegedly belonging to the downed aircraft were shared in the country's media. It was reported that the shot-down aircraft was part of the fleet at Lakenheath Air Base in the UK, which also hosts the US Air Force.
TASNIM: PILOT CAPTURED
Following this statement, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported, "According to some information, after the advanced American fighter jet was destroyed by the Revolutionary Guard Corps this morning, the pilot of the aircraft used the ejection seat to land inside the country."
The report stated that there were indications that US forces began search efforts believing the pilot was alive, but some sources claimed that the pilot was captured by Iran.
On the other hand, news sources in Kohgiluye province, where the aircraft crashed, reported that the US attempted to conduct search operations to rescue the pilot using a Black Hawk helicopter and a C-130 military cargo plane, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
IRAN STATE TELEVISION: REWARD FOR FINDING PILOTS
Iran's state television announced that a reward would be given to anyone who captures the pilot or pilots of the downed US fighter jet alive.
In a statement read to the residents of Kohgiluye and Buyerahmed provinces on the television channel affiliated with state television, it was stated, "If you deliver the enemy's pilot or pilots alive to the police and military authorities, you will receive a valuable reward."
US OPERATED INSIDE IRAN
News sources in Kohgiluye and Buyerahmed provinces reported that the US attempted to conduct search operations to rescue the pilot using a Black Hawk helicopter and a C-130 military cargo plane, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
As for the aircraft that Iran announced was shot down in the morning, there has been no statement from CENTCOM yet.
US MEDIA ALSO CONFIRMED THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHOT DOWN
According to a report by the US-based Axios news platform, citing sources close to the matter, the Iranian army shot down a US fighter jet. Search and rescue operations for the crew on the fighter jet are ongoing.
The Axios report stated that this incident would be "the first case of a US aircraft being shot down by enemy fire" following attacks by the US and Israel on Iran and Iran's retaliatory actions.