U.S. Fighter Jet Crashes in Iran, Triggering Search for Crew

TIME
by Kay Armin Serjoie and Brian Bennett
April 3, 2026
5 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

U.S. fighter jet shot down over Iran; one crew member rescued, search ongoing for second.

How This Affects You

Americans face heightened military risk as Operation Epic Fury has killed 13 U.S. service members since its start, with ongoing rescue operations in hostile territory.

AI Summary

A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle crashed inside Iran on Friday, with one of the two crew members rescued by U.S. forces while the search continues for the second, according to unnamed U.S. officials cited by Axios and CBS. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for shooting down the aircraft, though U.S. officials have not yet confirmed the exact circumstances. The crash occurs during Operation Epic Fury, the Trump administration's ongoing air campaign against Iran, which has already killed 13 American service members since its start. Iranian authorities initially instructed locals to shoot any American crew member on sight, then shifted orders to offering rewards ranging from $60,000 to $100,000 for their capture alive, likely to use them as bargaining leverage in negotiations to end the war. U.S. search and rescue helicopters and HC-130 aircraft have been conducting low-altitude operations in the mountainous Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces.

What's Being Done

U.S. search and rescue helicopters and HC-130 aircraft are conducting low-altitude operations in Iranian provinces to locate the missing crew member.

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