US fighter jet shot down over Iran, search underway for crew

A US fighter jet has been shot down over Iran and a search-and-rescue operation is underway for any survivors, two US officials told Reuters on Friday, in the first such known incident since the war began nearly five weeks ago.

The Pentagon and US Central Command did not respond to requests for comment.

The prospect of US pilots being alive and on the run inside Iran raises the stakes for the United States in a conflict that has struggled to win popular support among Americans, according to opinion polls.

It also presents a challenge to the US military, which faces the twin goals of trying to save the lives of any surviving US crew and safeguard whoever is involved in perilous rescue missions.

Iranian officials called on civilians to be on the lookout for survivors and have flooded social media with images that purport to show wreckage from the aircraft.

One of the US officials said the aircraft was an F-15 fighter jet.

William Goodhind, a forensic imagery analyst with Contested Ground, said images of the plane's tail fin seen in photos posted on social media are consistent with that of an F-15E Strike Eagle, which carries two crew.

The governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province said anyone who captured or killed the crew "would be specially commended," Iran's semi-official news agency ISNA reported.

So far, 13 US military service members have been killed in the conflict and more than 300 have been wounded, according to the US Central Command. No US troops have been taken prisoner by Iran.