A second U.S. Air Force combat aircraft reportedly crashed Friday in the Persian Gulf region, around the same time an F-15E fighter jet was shot down in Iran, the New York Times reported, citing two U.S. officials.
The aircraft was identified as an A-10 Warthog. The New York Times said the plane went down around the same time an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran, adding to a fast-moving and still developing military picture in the region.
Earlier on Friday, a U.S. fighter jet, an F-15E, crashed in southern Iran. Reuters reported that search efforts continued, with one of the two crew members aboard the F-15E rescued and the second still missing. Two Blackhawk helicopters involved in that mission came under Iranian fire but were able to leave Iranian airspace, Reuters said.
The exact cause of the A-10 loss was not immediately clear. Earlier reports called it a crash, but Iranian media said the plane had been hit. The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command did not make any public statements right away that fully explained that point.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told CNN earlier on Friday that President Donald Trump had been told about the shooting down of a U.S. fighter jet over Iran. News reports later identified the plane as the F-15E.
The latest aircraft losses marked a sharp setback in the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict, coming just two days after Trump said in a national address that the United States had “beaten and completely decimated Iran” and was moving quickly to end the war. For now, the status of the missing F-15E crew member remains unknown, and the Pentagon has yet to provide a fuller public account of either incident.
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.
