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STANDARD MILITARY UNVERIFIED

US F-15E crew member located in Iran; rescue operation underway

Apr 04, 2026 10:32 PM CT Iran US military, Iran, downed aircraft, rescue operation, escalation

Summary

A US F-15E fighter jet was downed, resulting in a crew member being located within Iranian territory. A US official confirmed that a rescue operation is currently ongoing. This incident represents a significant escalation involving direct US military assets in Iranian airspace, raising the risk of direct state-on-state confrontation.

Full Content

Rescue ongoing for downed F-15E crew member still inside Iran, official says A US government official said the rescue operation for a crew member of a downed F-15E fighter jet is still underway, despite the individual being located, Al Jazeera reported. The crew member has been confirmed located ...

Sources (1)

T3 Middle East Eye
50% reliable Link

Actor Responses

United States NEUTRAL

Confirmed the location of a downed F-15E crew member and initiated a rescue operation.

Iran NEUTRAL

Detained or holds a US military personnel following the downing of an F-15E fighter jet.

Related Events (4)

← LED TO 92% confidence
STANDARD US F-15E crew rescued after shootdown over Iranian airspace

"Event 10 marks the initiation of the rescue operation after the crew was located, which directly led to the successful recovery confirmed in the new event."

← LED TO 95% confidence
STANDARD US F-15E crew member located after firefight in Iranian airspace

"Event 6 reports the initial location of a US F-15E crew member and the start of a rescue operation. The new event is a direct update confirming the location of a second crew member following a firefight, representing the continuation and evolution of the same specific incident."

← ESCALATION OF 90% confidence
STANDARD US F-15E WSO Rescued Following Combat Search and Rescue Operation in Southern Iran

"The new event reports the successful rescue of the WSO, which is the outcome of the operation declared 'underway' in event 15, linking the two as sequential stages of the same incident."

← LED TO 95% confidence
STANDARD US conducts combat search and rescue for downed airman in Iranian airspace

"Event 5 reports the location of the US F-15E crew member and the initiation of a rescue operation. The NEW EVENT describes the execution of that specific combat search and rescue mission to recover the airman, representing the direct operational continuation of the situation established in Event 5."