The US military initiated a rescue effort on Friday for a fighter jet pilot who ejected after his plane was apparently shot down by Iranian air defenses, according to CBS News. The announcement comes after a local Iranian state TV channel reported earlier on Friday that a US fighter plane had been shot down and requested Iranians in the area to assist in the search for the pilot.
The television anchor asked locals to turn in any “enemy pilot” to authorities, promising a reward for anyone who did. The waterway is located in Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, a vastly rural and mountainous region covering 15,500 square kilometers.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Fars news agency said that the Iranian army had also initiated a search for the pilot. “Military forces have launched a search operation to locate the American fighter pilot who was hit earlier today,” Fars stated. The incident marks the first instance of a US fighter jet being shot down in Iranian soil since the United States and Israel commenced their attack on the Islamic republic on February 28.
The conflict, now in its sixth week, is destabilising global economies as Iran responds to US and Israeli attacks by attacking the Gulf region’s key infrastructure and strengthening its grip on oil and gas supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
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