Amid the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, reports have emerged claiming that a US fighter pilot ejected from an aircraft over southwestern Iran, according to Iranian state media cited by the Associated Press.
Local Iranian television channels reportedly aired announcements offering a reward for the capture of any “enemy pilot,” urging civilians to hand them over alive to authorities. Another on-screen message allegedly instructed people to shoot the pilot if spotted.
Iran's state broadcaster IRIB also claimed on X that "Civilians were moving toward the reported crash site in private vehicles", while the country's armed forces appealed to the public not to harm the pilot if found.
The development comes amid a series of fresh claims by Iranian media regarding downed aircraft. Iranian outlets said an F-35 stealth fighter jet had been shot down over central Iran by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Tasnim news agency published images it described as wreckage from a US aircraft, suggesting the pilot was unlikely to have survived.
In a separate claim, IRIB reported that an F-15E Strike Eagle from the 494th Fighter Squadron, based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, had also been downed. It added that debris from the aircraft's tail fin was recovered, though the fate of the pilots remained unclear.
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These assertions, however, are disputed. This marks the third time since the conflict began on February 28 that Iran has claimed to have shot down an F-35. Similar claims made on March 23 and April 2 were denied by US Central Command (CENTCOM), which stated that all its aircraft were accounted for. CENTCOM also accused Iran's IRGC of repeatedly circulating false claims.
As of now, there has been no fresh official response from CENTCOM, the Pentagon, or the White House regarding the latest reports.
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