US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle on 16 July 2020.
Nurfoto | Nurfoto | getty images
The United States was searching for the crew of an American fighter plane after it was downed in Iran on Friday, according to a US official. now told ms.
It is not clear whether the plane was shot down or due to some other reason, MS Now said. The jet was an F-15, carrying two crew members, and according to MS Now, the whereabouts of the service members were unknown.
The Pentagon and US Central Command did not immediately comment. A White House official said President Donald Trump has been briefed about the downing of the US plane and the search for the crew.
The New York Times, citing US and Israeli officials and Iranian state media, said Iran shot down the fighter plane, although MS Now said it had not independently confirmed this reporting.
It appears to be the first known loss of a US jet in the country since the war in Iran began in late February.
The downing of the jet comes at a critical time, with the US showing few signs of slowing its attacks on Iran and reports of possible peace talks that have yielded no breakthrough. According to MS Now, the death toll from the conflict across the Middle East is nearing 5,100.
The war has been going on for more than a month now, disrupting tanker traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz and putting supplies of crude oil, fertilizer and other key commodities at risk.
Trump claimed in a social media post on Friday that with more time, the US could “easily” open the strait, “take the oil, and make a fortune.”
Trump also threatened to increase attacks on Iranian infrastructure late Thursday. He said the US “hasn’t even begun to destroy what’s left in Iran,” citing bridges and power plants.
In his remarks on Wednesday, Trump said the US would attack Iran “like the Stone Age”.