A U.S. jet goes down over Iran, a U.S. official confirms

Updated April 3, 2026 at 12:43 PM CDT

An American fighter jet has gone down in Iran and one crew member has been rescued, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The official said that a search is underway by U.S. forces to find the second crew member.

Iran state media first reported that the jet had been shot down.

Photos posted to Telegram by Iran's Fars news agency showed debris from what appeared to be an American aircraft. One piece of debris in the photos closely resembles the vertical stabilizer of an F-15 Strike Eagle. A separate photo posted by an IRGC-affiliated channel appeared to show an empty F-15 ejection seat.

NPR could not immediately verify where the photos were taken.

The F-15 is a tactical fighter that typically carry a crew of two, according to the Air Force.

Numerous videos have also appeared showing planes and helicopters that closely resemble American search and rescue (SAR) aircraft flying in southwestern Iran. NPR was able to geolocate one of the videos to a bridge in the province of Khuzestan.

The bridge is located in a mountainous area approximately 100 miles inland. In the video an aircraft appears to be refueling two helicopters while flying at low altitude.

A second video appeared to also be shot in Khuzestan near the city of Behbahan, though it's precise location was unclear.

The incident marks the second time in recent weeks that an American aircraft was confirmed to be struck by enemy fire. In mid-March, a U.S. F-35 aircraft was hit by a missile, causing significant damage to the plane and injuring the pilot.

NPR was told at the time that the F-35 aircraft was able to return to its base, but the plane made a hard landing. The pilot was wounded by shrapnel and required stitches.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

NPR's D. Parvaz and the RAD Team contributed to this report.

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