US Tries To Rescue F-15 Downed in Iran As Trump Threatens Fresh Attacks
US denies reports; search on for crew as tensions surge
Washington: Iran downed a US F-15E fighter jet, and a search-and-rescue operation is underway for the two-person crew, according to a US official. The first known combat loss of a US fighter jet would mark a significant escalation in the five-week war. The New York Times, which reported earlier that a fighter jet was downed, said the fate of the crew was unclear. The US Central Command and the White House didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency carried a report Friday that claimed Iran had shot down a “highly advanced American fighter jet.” Iranian state media have made prior claims of shooting down American aircraft that were denied by the US. Central Command Thursday cited as false an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claim that it had downed an enemy fighter jet over an island in the Strait of Hormuz.
The prospect of US pilots being alive and on the run inside Iran during the ongoing conflict greatly raises the stakes for the US in the conflict. Iranian officials called on civilians to be on the lookout for survivors. The governor of Iran's Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province said whomever captured or killed the crew "would be specially commended," according to the semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA.
“Iran’s IRGC has made the same false claim at least half a dozen times,” Central Command said in a social media post.
Meanwhile, Iran targeted more sites in Arab Gulf states into Friday, hours after President Donald Trump issued fresh threats against Iranian infrastructure to pressure Tehran to start peace negotiations. The US president posted a video of a bridge collapse to social media on Thursday, warning there would be “Much more to follow!” if Iran doesn’t negotiate a deal.
US President Donald Trump said America "hasn't even started destroying what's left in Iran", reiterating vows to increase the ferocity of attacks on its infrastructure, as dozens of countries sought ways to restart vital energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran remained defiant, with foreign minister Abbas Araghchi saying strikes on civilian structures “will not compel Iranians to surrender.” There’s little sign that the country will relent on US demands to re-open the Strait of Hormuz and halt attacks, instead offering their own terms for a deal.
