Iran Claims Downing of U.S. Fighter Jets: What You Need to Know About the F-35 and F-15

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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it shot down multiple U.S. warplanes that entered Iranian airspace. State broadcaster reports a bounty has been offered for any U.S. pilots who ejected and were captured — a claim that has drawn scrutiny over its accuracy.

On the 3rd (local time), the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provincial broadcaster reported that a U.S. fighter crashed and its pilot ejected, coming down inside Iranian territory.

The broadcast said anyone who captures enemy pilots and turns them over to police would receive a substantial reward.

Earlier, the IRGC said it downed a U.S. warplane near Qeshm Island in southeastern Iran and an F-35 over central Iran.

Tasnim News Agency also reported that Iran’s military shot down a U.S. warplane that morning and suggested the pilot may already be in Iranian custody.

Local military and police in southwest Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province and neighboring Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province called on residents to help search for the pilot.

Local outlets said U.S. forces mounted a rescue effort but failed. They released video they said shows a C-130 Hercules flying low and multiple UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters deployed during the operation.

Accounts conflict on the aircraft type and the number of pilots involved, producing a muddled picture. The F-35 is typically single-seat, while F-15 and F-16 variants exist in two-seat configurations.

U.S. media also reported that American forces were conducting a search-and-rescue operation.

Axios, citing sources, said teams were searching for two pilots. The U.S. military and the White House did not immediately confirm the report.