Tensions have risen as U.S. and Iranian forces launched simultaneous search operations for the pilot of a downed U.S. warplane.
U.S. forces deployed search-and-rescue helicopters and recovered one of the two service members on board; one remains missing.
On April 4 (local time), international media reported that U.S. forces continued a second day of searches inside Iran and had deployed troops.
The New York Times, citing Iranian outlets, reported that U.S. helicopters were searching for the missing personnel.
Iranian outlets said some U.S. helicopters came under fire and withdrew, and that a C-130 transport plane was also committed to the search.
The British daily The Telegraph reported that U.S. special operations forces had entered Iranian territory to carry out a rescue, though it offered no concrete evidence.
Meanwhile, Iran moved quickly to secure custody of the missing service member before U.S. forces could.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly sealed off a southwestern area believed to be the crash site and narrowed the search perimeter.
State media said any hostile pilot must be turned over to police, announced a reward and appealed to the public for help.
It is the first time Iran has used state broadcasts to directly urge the public to help locate an enemy pilot.
Iranian leaders also mocked the U.S. over the incident.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, scoffed that “the glorious, strategy-free war they started” has been reduced from “regime change” to pleading, “Hey! Can someone please find our pilot? Please!”
The shootdown marks the first time a U.S. aircraft has been damaged since the war began, raising the prospect of new military and diplomatic complications.
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