Iranian media claim U.S. military searching for American fighter jet pilot after shoot-down

There were unconfirmed reports of a U.S. search and rescue operation in the skies over Iran on Friday after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard claimed it shot down a U.S. F-35 fighter jet over the middle of the country.

The U.S. military had not replied to a CBS News’ request for information on the alleged incident hours after it was submitted.

Axios reported that a “source familiar with the incident” had confirmed the shootdown and an ongoing search for the plane’s two-member crew.

There were conflicting reports about whether it was an F-35 or an F-15 possible hit by Iran.

Photos and video were circulating on social media, shared by Iranian state news outlets, suggesting at least one U.S. C-130 aircraft and an Apache attack helicopter were spotted flying low over central and southwest Iran in what was described as a possible effort to locate and recover an American pilot who ejected after being hit.

The U.S. has lost at least 16 MQ-9 Reaper drones over Iran since the war began, and three U.S. F-15 fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait in a “friendly fire incident” early in the conflict, but there were no casualties.

If confirmed by the U.S. military, the shootdown claimed by the IRGC on Friday would be the first of a manned American aircraft by enemy fire during the war, and it would come after repeated assertions by President Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and military commanders that Iran has been largely deprived of attack capabilities and air defenses during the war.

“Now in our 5th week of the campaign, it is my operational assessment that we are making undeniable progress. We don’t see their navy sailing. We don’t see their aircraft flying, and their air and missile defense systems have largely been destroyed,” CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said Thursday.

A local affiliate of Iran’s state TV channel said Friday a prize was on offer for anyone able to “capture the enemy pilot or pilots alive and hand them over to the police.”

The Associated Press said the TV broadcast included a written message urging viewers to shoot at any U.S. aircraft seen flying overhead.