FILE PHOTO: Two F-16 and two F-35 fighter jets return to air base Flyvestation Skrydstrup after patrolling around Denmark at low altitude, as the Danish air base officially receives four F-35 fighter jets on October 1, 2023. Ritzau Scanpix/Bo Amstrup via REUTERS
A U.S. fighter jet in the Middle East was shot down by Iran, according to a breaking news report from Axios on Friday, the first such instance since the Trump administration launched Operation Epic Fury alongside Israel in late February.
“An American fighter jet was shot down by Iranian fire,” reads a statement from Axios’ Barak Ravid, issued on social media moments after his report was published. “A search is underway to locate the two crew members, according to a source familiar with the details.”
Neither the White House or the U.S. military responded to Axios’ request for comment on the alleged downed aircraft, which according to photos and videos viewed by Axios, is believed to be an F-15 fighter jet.
מטוס קרב אמריקני הופל מאש איראנית. חיפוש מתנהל כדי לאתר את שני אנשי הצוות, כך לפי מקור שמעורה בפרטים. קראו את הכתבה שלי ב-@axioshttps://t.co/8CR6n5WqJA
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) April 3, 2026
