Key Points
- No formal Pentagon or CENTCOM confirmation yet
- Limited official details available on the incident
ISLAMABAD: Iran’s air defences shot down a United States fighter jet over Iranian territory, state media reported, while a US official confirmed to Reuters that the aircraft went down.
Reuters cited a US official speaking on condition of anonymity, who said the aircraft was “shot down over Iran,” marking a major escalation in the ongoing military conflict between Washington and Tehran.
The US-Israel war with Iran has intensified since late February, with continued air and missile strikes, regional spillover, and heightened military alerts across the Middle East.
International reporting, including by the Washington Post, describes the conflict as expanding beyond direct bilateral confrontation, affecting shipping routes, energy infrastructure, and broader regional security alignments.
The United States Department of Defence and United States Central Command have not issued formal confirmation on the incident.
Iranian state outlets, including Press TV and Tasnim News Agency, reported that Iran’s air defence systems shot down the US aircraft. Authorities in Iran have not independently verified the competing claims.
According to the Iranian state media, the downed US jet was an F-35, while a US unnamed official quoted by Reuters stated that it was an F-15E. No further official details emerged regarding the circumstances of the incident.
Axios website reported that it is the first time since the beginning of the war that a US jet was downed by enemy fire. The sources said the aircraft had a two-person crew.
Iranian state television channels called on civilians in the area where the jet was downed to search for the crew members, and said whoever finds them will be rewarded by the government.
