American military forces continued an urgent search and rescue mission Saturday for a missing pilot after Iranian forces shot down a U.S. fighter jet, while Tehran urged its citizens to help locate and capture the “enemy pilot.”
Iranian forces targeted two American aircraft on Friday, shooting down what Iran identified as a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle. Military officials rescued one crew member, but a second service member remains unaccounted for. This marks the first instance of the United States losing aircraft over Iranian airspace during the ongoing conflict, which has now entered its sixth week.
The hostilities began February 28 when the U.S. and Israel launched military operations, creating widespread regional instability. The conflict has resulted in thousands of casualties, disrupted international commerce, blocked crucial maritime passages, driven up energy costs, and continues escalating as Iran retaliates against American and Israeli air attacks with strikes throughout the Middle East.
Saturday brought continued violence as what appeared to be an Iranian drone struck Oracle Corporation’s Dubai headquarters. Israeli defense forces reported that Iran had fired missiles toward Israeli territory.
The aircraft downing occurred just 48 hours after President Donald Trump declared in a televised speech that America had “beaten and completely decimated Iran” and pledged to “finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast.” American and Israeli officials had recently claimed Iran’s air defense systems were destroyed.
Saturday also saw an attack near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear facility, according to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. The airstrike killed one security guard and damaged a support structure, marking the fourth time the facility has been targeted during the war. The agency made the announcement through social media channels.
Neither the White House nor Pentagon has issued public statements regarding the downed aircraft.
However, The Associated Press obtained a Pentagon email stating the military received notification of “an aircraft being shot down” in the Middle East, though no additional details were provided.
While one crew member from the aircraft was successfully rescued, the Pentagon informed the House Armed Services Committee that a second service member’s whereabouts remain unknown. Military search and rescue operations continued throughout Saturday.
When contacted by NBC News, Trump refused to discuss the rescue efforts but stated the incident would not impact ongoing negotiations with Iran.
Iranian state media separately reported that a U.S. A-10 attack aircraft crashed in the Persian Gulf after being hit by Iranian defense forces.
A U.S. official, speaking anonymously about the sensitive military situation, said it remained unclear whether the aircraft crashed or was shot down, or if Iran was responsible. The crew’s status and exact crash location were not immediately available.
A television anchor on an Iranian state-affiliated channel encouraged viewers to surrender any “enemy pilot” to police authorities.
Iran has repeatedly made false claims about downing enemy aircraft throughout the conflict. Friday marked the first occasion Iranian media asked civilians to search for a crashed pilot.
According to Iranian state media posts on social platform X, their military destroyed a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle. This aircraft variant typically carries both a pilot and weapons system operator.
The Oracle headquarters attack in Dubai occurred after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened the technology company. The strike hit the building located on Dubai’s main Sheikh Zayed Road, with verified footage showing significant damage. A large opening was visible in the building’s southwestern section, and the neon “Oracle” sign was partially destroyed.
Dubai’s Media Office described the incident as a “minor incident caused by debris from an aerial interception that fell on the facade of the Oracle building in Dubai Internet City,” noting no injuries occurred.
Austin, Texas-based Oracle did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Revolutionary Guard has labeled several major American technology companies as participants in “terrorist espionage” operations against Iran, declaring them valid targets. Previous Iranian drone attacks have targeted Amazon Web Services facilities in both the UAE and Bahrain.
International leaders continue struggling to break Iran’s control over critical waterways, which has created significant global economic impacts and represents Iran’s key strategic advantage in the conflict.
The U.N. Security Council was scheduled to address the situation Saturday.
Trump has shown inconsistent positions regarding America’s involvement in the strait, sometimes threatening Iran to reopen the passage while telling other countries to “go get your own oil.” Friday, he posted on social media: “With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE.”
Since the conflict began, more than 1,900 people have died in Iran. A Friday report from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a U.S.-based organization, found civilian casualties concentrated around strikes on security and government facilities “rather than indiscriminate bombardment” of populated areas.
Additional casualties include over two dozen deaths in Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, 19 reported deaths in Israel, and 13 killed U.S. service members. Lebanon has seen over 1,300 deaths and more than one million displaced residents, while 10 Israeli soldiers have also died there.
