Breaking news: U.S. officials have confirmed to CBS that an American F-15E fighter jet was shot down inside Iran on Friday, with one crew member subsequently rescued by U.S. forces.
The F-15E is a two-seat aircraft, and search and rescue operations for the second crew member are still ongoing.
Earlier Friday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it had shot down a U.S. fighter jet in central Iran.
Iranian state media circulated photos and videos on social platforms showing at least one U.S. C-130 transport plane and two Black Hawk helicopters flying at low altitude over central and southwestern Iran, believed to be conducting search and rescue missions for the downed crew members.
CBS reported earlier this week that since the conflict erupted, the U.S. has lost at least 16 MQ-9 "Reaper" drones over Iran; during the early stages of the conflict, three F-15 fighters were also reportedly downed in Kuwait due to "friendly fire," though no casualties were reported.
Before this incident, President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and U.S. military commanders had repeatedly claimed that the U.S. holds absolute air superiority, having largely disabled Iran’s offensive capabilities and air defense systems in the war.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861465448131593/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.