United States military officials have confirmed that one of the two crew members of a downed fighter jet has been rescued, CNN reports.
The recovered crew member is alive and is currently in US custody, receiving medical care.
Meanwhile, a search-and-rescue operation continues for the second crew member, whose condition remains unknown.
CNN cited an official confirming that the aircraft shot down was an F-15E Strike Eagle, a dual-role fighter jet typically carrying both a pilot and a weapons systems officer, designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
According to reports, the jet was likely engaged in Defensive Counter Air operations, aimed at intercepting and destroying Iranian drones and cruise missiles.
Iran announced on Friday morning that its forces had downed the fighter jet over central Iran, while the IRGC circulated images of the wreck on social media.
This marks the second US fighter jet to be struck in as many weeks, though the first to crash on Iranian soil.
Two weeks ago, a US F-35 stealth jet was hit during a combat mission over Iran but managed an emergency landing at a US base in the Middle East without any casualties.
The incident comes after President Donald Trump threatened to “bomb Iran back to the Stone Age” by targeting civilian infrastructure if Tehran did not agree to a ceasefire.
