US Special Forces Deployed to Locate Downed Pilot in Middle East

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The United States has deployed a special operations unit into Iran to search for one of the pilots of an American fighter jet that crashed in the Middle East region, RIA Novosti reports, citing the Telegraph newspaper.

According to the report, after the aircraft was downed, two crew members ejected, leading to parallel search operations by both the U.S. and Iran. It is claimed that one of the pilots was extracted during a rescue mission involving two U.S. military helicopters supported by a refueling aircraft flying at low altitude.

On the previous day, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the destruction of a second American F-35 fighter jet since the start of the conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. The Iranian Tasnim news agency initially reported the possible capture of the ejected pilot but later revealed a reward had been offered for his capture.

Media reports remain unclear about the type of aircraft that crashed. Earlier reports suggested an F-15 had been shot down, and there was confusion over the number of crew members: the F-35 is a single-seat aircraft, while modern F-15 variants can have two pilots on board.