US F-15E fighter jet downed over Iran, 1 of 2 crew rescued. What happens next?
A US fighter jet has been shot down over Iran, and search-and-rescue efforts have so far recovered one of two crew members who ejected, Reuters reported, citing a US official. Two US officials quoted by Reuters said the aircraft was an F-15E fighter jet, which has two seats: one for a pilot and the second for a weapons systems officer. (Bloomberg File) It is the first known incident of its kind in the nearly five-week-old US-Iran war. The incident also brings a new kind of pressure on US President Donald Trump as the prospect of a US pilot being alive and on the run inside Iran raises the stakes for Washington in a conflict that, according to opinion polls, has struggled to win popular support among Americans. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had been briefed, without confirming any details of the incident. The Pentagon and US Central Command (CENTCOM) have not commented on the matter. Two US officials quoted by Reuters said the aircraft was an F-15E fighter jet, which has two …
