The U.S. military is scrambling to find the pilots of an F-15 fighter jet downed over Iran on Friday, in a possible blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to quickly wrap up the weekslong conflict.
A U.S. official confirmed Iranian state media reports about the incident and said efforts were underway to secure their rescue.
The whereabouts of the plane’s two crewmembers were not immediately known, nor was the location of the crash. Iranian state media said Friday that a pilot ejected from the jet, although U.S. officials did not confirm it.
The Defense Department, the Air Force, and U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The official was granted anonymity to discuss an ongoing military operation.
The incident, especially if it involves captured troops, threatens to ratchet up a military campaign President Donald Trump said this week would end in two to three weeks.
The war has led to the deaths of 13 American servicemembers and thousands of Iranians.
