U.S. F-15 fighter jet went down over Iran, search and rescue mission underway, officials say

U.S. Central Command said an F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing March 19, but stopped short of confirming this was the result of an Iranian attack.

Kuwait accidentally shot down three U.S. fighter jets near the start of the war, in what CENTCOM said was a “friendly fire” incident by the U.S. ally.

The rescue operation followed a morning of reporting by Iranian media and military observers on social media.

Nour News, an outlet linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the jet “was destroyed in the skies over central Iran by a new advanced air defense system of the IRGC Aerospace Force.”

A channel affiliated with Iranian state television claimed that a U.S. pilot ejected from their aircraft over a rural region of southwestern Iran. An anchor urged residents to hand over any “enemy pilot” to police and promised a reward for anyone who did.

An on-screen crawl earlier urged the public to “shoot them if you see them,” referring to videos circulating of what appeared to be U.S. aircraft in the area. The semiofficial Mehr news agency later published videos that it said showed “brave locals firing at U.S. helicopters” with guns.

Responding to photos published by outlets in Tehran, one expert told NBC News that “structure looks like an F-15.”

“From the tail flash stripe markings from the 48th Fighter Wing, based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom,” said Peter Layton, a former officer in the Australian Air Force and visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia.

The base in Suffolk, eastern England, and RAF Feltwell in the neighboring county of Norflk, host the 48th Fighter Wing, comprising some 7,000 active-duty personnel and four squadrons of F-15 Strike Eagles and F35A Lightning II fighter jets.

It is the largest U.S. fighter operation in Europe and has been a key hub of American activity heading to the Middle East.