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According to Iranian state media, the search is focused in central Iran following the downing of the jet.
An F-35C Lightning II prepares to make an arrested landing on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.
The US military has launched a search and rescue operation to locate two US crew members after a fighter jet was reportedly shot down over Iranian territory, Axios reported on Friday, citing sources.
Earlier, Iranian state media reported that the country’s air defence system had struck a US fighter jet over central Iran.
However, there has been no independent confirmation of these developments from the White House or the US Central Command.
If confirmed, this would mark the first time a US jet has been downed since the start of the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, which began on February 28.
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Iran’s Fars news agency said the army had launched a search for the pilot after the aircraft was hit by an air defence system. “Military forces have launched a search operation to find the American fighter pilot who was hit earlier today,” the agency reported.
Iranian local television footage showed what it said was the wreckage of the downed jet, adding that the aircraft was targeted over central Iran and may have crashed in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer‑Ahmad province, citing a police statement.
The police statement urged residents in the area to assist in locating the pilot or pilots, offering a reward for the capture of any US servicemen.
(With inputs from agencies)
April 03, 2026, 7:34 PM IST
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