Axios: Iran shoots down US F-15 fighter jet for first time since war (UPD)

Iran claims to have shot down a US F-15 fighter jet. If confirmed, it would be the first time since the start of the war that Iranian forces have shot down a US aircraft.

Axios writes about this, citing Iranian media and sources.

The fighter jet was reportedly shot down over Iranian territory. A search and rescue operation is underway, with two crew members on board.

Photos and videos posted online purportedly show the wreckage of the plane and an ejection seat. However, the United States has not yet commented on these reports.

UPD as of 19:55: The US special forces have found one pilot from the crew of a fighter jet that Iran shot down on its territory, Axios reports, citing sources.

Meanwhile, the search for the second pilot continues. Israel is assisting with the search with intelligence, and the country has also canceled planned strikes on Iran so as not to interfere with the search.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the incident. Iran is also searching for the pilot and is even offering a reward for his capture.

Iran has repeatedly claimed to have shot down or hit American aircraft. CNN, citing sources, reported on March 19 that a US F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at a US air base in the Middle East after being hit by Iranian aircraft. The US has not commented.

At the same time, the US admitted that it had lost a KC-135 Stratotanker tanker aircraft in western Iraq on March 13. At least four American servicemen were killed in the crash.

War in the Middle East

On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and almost the entire military leadership of the country — about 40 key high-ranking officials. A new ayatollah was elected on March 8, and he was Mojtaba Khamenei (the son of the deceased Ali Khamenei).

Iran, in response to the US and Israeli attacks, has begun shelling US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE and firing missiles at Israel. Some Iranian drones and missiles have hit infrastructure and residential areas in Arab countries.

The war has halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Markets reacted immediately: oil, gas, and precious metals rose in price, and on March 9, world oil prices exceeded $100 per barrel for the first time in almost four years. Meanwhile, Donald Trump says that negotiations with Iran are currently underway, allegedly initiated by Tehran.

During them, according to the US president, the parties reached an agreement on 15 points. One of them is Iranʼs refusal to give up nuclear weapons. Amid the negotiations, the US suspended attacks on Iranian energy facilities until April 6.

Other points of the agreement stipulate that Tehran will limit its defense capabilities, stop supporting regional proxy groups and restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran must also return highly enriched uranium to the US.

On March 30, Trump reported that Iran had agreed to most of the demands of his 15-point peace plan. To confirm its willingness to negotiate, Iran made a “gift” to the United States — 20 oil tankers that passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistan acted as a mediator in the negotiations between Iran and the United States, and the countryʼs Foreign Ministry stated that it was ready to hold a meeting of representatives of these countries in the coming days in its capital, Islamabad.

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