A U.S. service member who went missing after an American fighter jet was shot down by Iranian forces has been rescued following an intensive search-and-rescue operation, according to U.S. officials.<\/p>\n
The crew member had been missing since Friday when an F-15E Strike Eagle<\/span><\/span> operated by the United States Air Force<\/span><\/span> was brought down over Iranian territory. A second crew member from the aircraft had already been recovered earlier. Officials said the rescue was confirmed early Sunday ahead of a formal government announcement.<\/p>\n The aircraft crash marks the first time a U.S. plane has gone down in Iranian territory since the war between United States<\/span><\/span> and Iran<\/span><\/span> erupted in late February. The conflict began with joint strikes carried out by the United States and Israel<\/span><\/span> on February 28.<\/p>\n Since then, the war has escalated rapidly, causing thousands of casualties, destabilising global markets and disrupting critical shipping lanes. Rising tensions have also pushed fuel prices higher as energy shipments through the region face increasing threats.<\/p>\n U.S. President Donald Trump<\/span><\/span> has vowed to conclude the war quickly, saying earlier that American forces had significantly weakened Iran\u2019s military capabilities. However, Tehran has continued to mount counterattacks, including the reported downing of two U.S. military aircraft during the conflict. One of those aircraft was identified as an A-10 Thunderbolt II<\/span><\/span>, though the status of its crew remains unclear.<\/p>\n The downed F-15E jet crashed in a mountainous area in Iran\u2019s Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province<\/span><\/span>, where rescue teams focused their search efforts. Iranian authorities reportedly offered rewards for information leading to the capture of the pilot.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, tensions have intensified over control of the Strait of Hormuz<\/span><\/span>, a vital corridor for global energy shipments that Tehran has threatened to restrict. Iranian officials have also hinted at potential disruption of traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait<\/span><\/span>, another critical international shipping route.<\/p>\n Diplomatic efforts are ongoing to prevent further escalation. Officials from Pakistan<\/span><\/span>, Turkey<\/span><\/span>, and Egypt<\/span><\/span> are reportedly working to mediate talks between Washington and Tehran.<\/p>\n The war has already inflicted heavy casualties across the region. More than 1,900 people have reportedly died in Iran since the fighting began, while deaths have also been recorded in Israel, Gulf Arab states, Lebanon and the occupied West Bank, with widespread displacement continuing in several areas.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A U.S. service member who went missing after an American fighter jet was shot down by Iranian forces has been rescued following an intensive search-and-rescue operation, according to U.S. officials. The crew member had been missing since Friday when an F-15E Strike Eagle operated by the United States Air Force was brought down over Iranian<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15315,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"no","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_1160854738579181570_1160854738579181570":"","facebook_3558452337540614_100649324928663":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[{"account":"twitter_1160854738579181570_1160854738579181570","service":"twitter","timestamp":1775363613,"status":"error"},{"account":"facebook_3558452337540614_100649324928663","service":"facebook","timestamp":1775363626,"status":"success"}],"rop_publish_now_status":"done","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,28,239],"tags":[970,3044,3045,1618,981,3043,2873,1087],"class_list":{"0":"post-15314","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-news","8":"category-middle-east","9":"category-usa-canada","10":"tag-donald-trump","11":"tag-f-15e-strike-eagle","12":"tag-global-security","13":"tag-iran","14":"tag-israel","15":"tag-middle-east-war","16":"tag-strait-of-hormuz","17":"tag-united-states"},"yoast_head":"\n