A US F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran, and one of its two pilots was rescued by US forces, CBS News reported, citing two US officials familiar with the matter. The search for the remaining pilot continues. Channel 12 of Israel also provided similar information, stating that the US pilot was evacuated from Iran.

A formation of US aircraft reportedly conducting a rescue operation for a fighter pilot in Iran on 3/4. Video: X/Ramin Khanizadeh

US forces launched a search operation this morning to rescue the pilots, according to a Tasnim news agency reporter in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province. The operation involved Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. Earlier, videos on social media showed three US aircraft flying low in central Iran, apparently searching for the fighter pilot that Tehran claimed to have shot down. These rescue efforts appeared in several social media videos, showing one aircraft flying low near the ground while two helicopters followed closely.

The pilot's ejection seat found in Iran, consistent with the type used on an F-15 fighter jet. Photo: CNN

Images released by Iranian state media on the same day showed a damaged ejection seat on the ground. CNN's analysis indicated that the seat matched the model used on the F-15E fighter jet. An earlier CNN analysis of images released by Iranian media also showed aircraft debris consistent with archival images of a US Air Force F-15. The exact location of the crashed fighter jet in Iran is currently unknown. The US military and the White House have not commented on the fate or condition of the pilots.

If confirmed, the incident would mark the first time a US aircraft has been shot down over Iran during the conflict.

Vu Hoang (CNN, AFP, Reuters)