The United States military intensified efforts on Saturday to locate a missing pilot over a remote area in southwestern Iran, after Iranian forces shot down an American warplane and urged civilians to report the pilot’s whereabouts in exchange for a reward.
The aircraft, identified by Iran as a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle, was one of two targeted on Friday. While one service member was rescued, at least one pilot remains unaccounted for, prompting what officials describe as a frantic search operation.
The incident marks the first confirmed loss of a U.S. aircraft inside Iranian territory since the start of the war, now in its sixth week, in a development that could signal a significant escalation in the conflict.
The war, launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, has had far-reaching regional and global consequences. Thousands have been killed, key shipping routes disrupted, and global markets shaken, with fuel prices surging amid continued instability.
Hostilities showed no signs of easing on Saturday, as missile and drone attacks continued across the region. An apparent Iranian drone strike damaged the headquarters of U.S. technology company Oracle in Dubai, while Israel’s military reported incoming Iranian missiles.
The downing of the aircraft comes just days after U.S. President Donald Trump declared in a national address that Iran had been “completely decimated” and vowed to conclude the campaign swiftly. U.S. and Israeli officials had previously claimed that Iran’s air defense systems had been severely weakened.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said an airstrike struck near the Bushehr nuclear facility on Saturday, killing a security guard and damaging a support building. The agency said it was the fourth time the site had been targeted since the outbreak of the war.
The announcement was made via the organization’s official social media channels.
