03.04.2026 19:13
The U.S. confirmed that a warplane was shot down in Iran. U.S. officials speaking to the New York Times stated that search and rescue operations are ongoing. Iranian state television announced that a reward would be given for the capture of the pilot or pilots of the downed warplane alive.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that it shot down an F-35 fighter jet with air defense systems in the central regions of the country.
In a 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." The statement, which claimed that the second fighter jet was shot down within the last 12 hours, noted that due to the complete destruction of the aircraft, there is currently no information about the fate of the pilot.
US CONFIRMED IRAN'S CLAIM
The US confirmed the Revolutionary Guards' claim. US officials speaking to the New York Times stated that the plane had crashed and that search and rescue operations had begun.
PHOTOS OF THE WRECKAGE SHARED
Photos allegedly belonging to the downed aircraft were shared in Iranian media. It was reported that the shot-down aircraft was part of the fleet at Lakenheath Air Base, which also hosts the US Air Force in the UK.
In the published photos, the emblem on the tail wreckage that reads "U.S. Air Forces in Europe" matches the emblems on F-15 Eagle aircraft. In another frame, a piece showing a thick yellow stripe overlaps with the stripe on the wings of the same model aircraft.
TASNIM: PILOT CAPTURED
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 used the ejection seat to land inside the country."
The report stated that there were indications that US forces believed the pilot was alive and had begun search efforts, but some sources claimed that the pilot was captured by Iran.
IRAN STATE TELEVISION: REWARD FOR FINDING PILOTS
Iranian 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 province, which is affiliated with state television, it was stated, "If you deliver the enemy's pilot or pilots alive to police and military authorities, you will receive a valuable reward."
US CONDUCTED OPERATIONS INSIDE IRAN
On the other hand, news sources in Kohgiluye and Buyerahmed province, where the plane crashed, reported that the US attempted to conduct search operations to rescue the plane's pilot using a Black Hawk helicopter and a C-130 military cargo plane, but their efforts were unsuccessful.