Iran Shoots Down US F-15E Fighter Jet as War Escalates

Iran shot down a US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet, just days after President Donald Trump said to National Television that America had “beaten and completely destroyed Iran” and that the war was “nearing completion.”

The incident, which was confirmed by US officials, makes this the first time the United States has lost an aircraft used for combat in Iranian territory since the war begin nearly 5 weeks ago. According to multiple reports, the two-seater jet went down at the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province in Southwest Iran.

Image of pieces of the wrecked F-15E Fighter Jet.

After the attack, one crew member has been rescued with the other still missing as of Friday as search-and-rescue operations are still ongoing. Iran had initially claimed that they had shot down a more stealth jet called F-35 using their new air defense system, but after image of the wreckage came out, expert verified the markings, saying it belongs to an F-15E.

Image of the markings of the F-15E Fighter jet.

Iran has offered a reward to any person that captures or kill the US pilot. According to multiple reports, a provincial governor offered admiration to anyone who captures or kills the US crew, while an Iranian businessman also offered around $60,000 (Sixty thousand dollars) to anyone who brings the crew member alive.

Meanwhile footage has shown US rescue aircraft flying around southwest Iran in search of the crew member. Also, in a separate incident which happened on the same day a US A-10 Warthdog attack plane was shot down by Iran near the strait of Hormuz, although the pilot was safely recovered.

When asked if the incident will affect negotiations with Iran, he replied “No, it’s war. We’re in war.” He also said that he had been briefed about the incident but refused to talk about the rescue mission in detail.

Trump also posted on social media that the US would “take the oil” from Iran and open the Strait of Hormuz by force.

Based on multiple report, a total of 13 American service member has been killed so far since the start of the war, with over 3oo wounded. Reports say that the total cost of damaged US aircraft only is estimated at over $3 billion (Three billion dollars). Iran also rejected a proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire from United States.

The United States military bombed a bridge suspension which connected Tehran and Karaj, which killed a total of eight people and injured over a 100 people. Trump took credit for the attack and further threatened that he will start to bomb power plants.