Two American Fighter Jets Crash in Middle East, Pilot Missing in Iran

Two American fighter jets have crashed in the Middle East, one of which was shot down by Iran– one of the plane's pilots is still missing, and the race to find him has begun.

A race to recover a missing pilot began yesterday when an American fighter jet, an F-15E Strike Eagle, was shot down over Iran. Three F-15s were accidentally shot down by Kuwait, a US ally, earlier in the war, but this incident marks the first time an American warplane has been shot down by enemy fire during the war so far.

Additionally, the strike came despite the Trump administration's recent claims that Iran's air defenses have been practically destroyed, sparking concern from experts that the Middle Eastern nation may possess even more firepower than previously expected.

Both crewmembers aboard the F-15E were able to eject safely, and one was quickly located and rescued by a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in the region. However, the second was not found, and a search to find the missing member commenced.

Nevertheless, Iran is also aiming to find the pilot, as his capture would further complicate negotiations for the United States. According to local reports, Iran has urged locals to search for the pilot as well, and they are offering a $60,000 bounty to anyone who successfully captures the American pilot.

Because of this, the US is racing to find the pilot before Iran does. The same Black Hawk that rescued the other crewmember was hit by ground fire during the search, injuring several military members onboard, but the helicopter was able to escape the situation.

Israel is also assisting in the search for the pilot, and they have halted all airstrikes to avoid impacting the ongoing rescue operations.

Meanwhile, Iran confirmed around the same time that they had shot down another American warplane– this time, an A-10 Warthog. The A-10 crashed near the Persian Gulf, but the plane's sole pilot was quickly rescued. The US has not confirmed what downed the plane, but Iranian reports announced that they had shot down an A-10 around the same time as the crash.

Following the crashes, Trump's approval ratings dropped to new lows, with 57% of Americans saying they disapprove of the current president. A mere 39% still approve of Trump, while 4% say they are unsure.

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Image credit to USAF