The U.S. military launched a massive search and rescue operation in Iran after Iranian forces shot down an Air Force F-15E fighter jet carrying two American crew members. Both aviators ejected before impact, marking the first known instance of a U.S. combat aircraft going down in hostile territory since the war began five weeks ago. The rescue efforts recovered one of the two American aviators.

An American helicopter was hit during the search operation but managed to escape safely. Iranian broadcaster called on residents to capture the "enemy's pilot or pilots" in return for a reward. The downing of the much more agile F-15E suggested that Iran's weakened military could still fight back, contradicting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's recent assessment that Iran's air defenses were so degraded that the U.S. was sending lumbering B-52 bombers over the country.

Videos verified by The Times show U.S. military aircraft flying low over southwestern Iran, apparently part of the search and rescue effort. The easily spotted aircraft and the troops aboard are potential targets. The fate of the second American aviator remains unclear as the rescue operation continues under potentially perilous conditions.