U.S. and Iranian forces are locked in an unprecedented race deep in southwestern Iran to locate and secure the F-15 pilot shot down during recent strikes, sources say.
U.S. commanders have committed special operations teams and search-and-rescue helicopters into Iranian territory, while Tehran has posted a public bounty and is mobilizing to capture the pilot alive.
On April 4, Yonhap reported that international outlets including The New York Times said U.S. forces were conducting a second day of intensive search operations for one of the two pilots from the downed fighter who remains missing.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency said U.S. C-130 transports and search-and-rescue helicopters operated in the area, but one helicopter withdrew after coming under fire from Iranian forces.
The Telegraph also reported that U.S. special operations forces entered Iranian territory the previous night for a rescue attempt, though the newspaper did not identify its sources. Axios had earlier reported that special operations units were deployed to the search.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sealed land and air approaches across Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province—the area where U.S. officials believe the missing pilot may be—and launched wide-area, dragnet-style searches.
In an uncommon move, state television announced a bounty and urged citizens to "report enemy pilots immediately if found." Analysts say Tehran seeks to capture the pilot alive to strengthen its negotiating position.
Tehran has previously claimed to have shot down enemy aircraft, but this is the first time it has directly mobilized the public via national broadcasts to assist in searching for enemy personnel.
This is the first U.S. military aircraft reported shot down since the conflict began. If Iran secures the missing pilot first, Washington could see a substantial erosion of leverage both on the battlefield and in ongoing cease-fire talks.
The New York Times warned that "if the missing pilot becomes a prisoner, U.S. leverage in cease-fire negotiations would shrink dramatically."
