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Iranian Media Posts Debris From USAF F-15E Claimed to Have Been Downed Earlier Today

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Although Iranian media claimed an F-35 has been shot down, images from the crash site clearly show debris belonging to an F-15E Strike Eagle.

On Apr. 3, 2026, Iranian media reported that the IRGC (Islamic Republic Guard Corps) shot down an American jet. According to the spokesperson for the Central Headquarters of Hazrat Khatam al-Anbia (PBUH), an F-35 was hit by a new air defense system over central Iran. However, the images from the crash site show that the debris does not belong to a Lightning II jet but to an F-15E Strike Eagle.

In particular, the remains of one of the tails still sport the U.S. Air Force in Europe badge as well as a red tail flash belonging to the 494th Fighter Squadron based at RAF Lakenheath, UK, deployed to Jordan as part of the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.

Considering the amount of fake and AI-generated imagery Iranian sources have circulated online since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, it is legitimate to question the authenticity of these photos. However, at the moment, they do not appear to have been altered or computer-generated. The misidentification of the aircraft also seems to support the assessment that the images do in fact come from the crash site. Someone also suggested the crash site was the one where three F-15Es had been shot down in a friendly fire incident on Mar. 2, 2026. However, the terrain in the background does not look consistent with anywhere in Kuwait.

Earlier, the IRGC released footage of what appeared to be the attempted interception of a U.S. F-15, although it said the incident involved an F-35 and took place over Qeshm Island in southern Iran.

 

CENTCOM debunked the claim that a U.S. fighter was downed over Qeshm Island.

The two incidents may be completely unrelated. However, the fact that the alleged shootdown of an F-35 actually appears to involve an F-15E raises the possibility that both reports refer to the same aircraft, even though the reported locations do not match, namely the Strait of Hormuz and central Iran.

At the time of writing, CENTCOM had not commented on the photos of the debris. What’s not clear is the status of the two crew members. Did they ejected? Were they rescued? We will probably gather more details in the next few hours.

If confirmed, this would be the fourth F-15E lost by the U.S. Air Force since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury. In fact, as already mentioned, a Kuwait Air Force F/A-18 Hornet shot down over Kuwait three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles that were returning from a combat mission, in a pretty unusual friendly fire incident, on Mar. 2, 2026.

F-15E deployment

F-15E Strike Eagles from RAF Lakenheath deployed to the CENTCOM AOR (Area Of Responsibility) on Sunday Jan. 17, 2026. A total of twelve F-15E Strike Eagles, backed up by two air spares, departed from RAF Lakenheath in the UK with tanker support heading towards the Middle East. Their arrival on station was confirmed by the U.S. Air Force on Jan. 18 with an image of a 494th Fighter Squadron Strike Eagle landing at an undisclosed Middle East base.

Geolocation based on buildings visible in the background of the imagery, as well as the destinations of some C-17 Globemaster III flights likely to be flying support missions for deployed units, all but confirm the location of this undisclosed base as Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan, a usual forward operating base in the Middle East for many U.S. assets.

CSAR mission 

Images being shared online allegedly show that the U.S. forces launched a Combat SAR mission to rescue the aircrews of the F-15E. Iranian channels have published clips showing what appear to be a U.S. Air Force HC-130J Combat King II and HH-60 search and rescue (SAR) aircraft conducting an operation in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province in southern Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump was briefed on the loss of a U.S. fighter and search and rescue is in progress for a pilot and weapon system officer, says White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Israeli N12 News‘ Amit Segal states, quoting a Western source, that one of the crew members was successfully rescued. CBS News and other U.S. outlets similarly reported the rescue, quoting U.S. officials.

Meanwhile, a video of the alleged capture of a U.S. aircrew has been debunked and appears to be instead related to last year’s clashes between India and Pakistan.

This is a developing story. We will update it as more information becomes available.


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