Trump sets Iran 48-hour deadline to make a deal or reopen Strait of Hormuz; Search continues for missing US airman after fighter jet shot down by Iran

In an extremely rare success against US air power, one American airman remained lost behind enemy lines and another was rescued after a US F15-E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down by Iran.

The downing of an F15-E, which carries a two-man crew and can conduct both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions, revealed the Islamic Republic’s continued ability to respond despite US President Donald Trump’s claims that it had been “completely destroyed.”

The rescue of the downed airman happened while the U.S. military was conducting a search and rescue operation, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitivity of the situation. Israel is assisting the United States in the operation.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it was combing an area in southwestern Iran near where the pilot’s plane crashed, and the regional governor promised praise to anyone who captured or killed “forces of the hostile enemy.” Iranian media said Tehran had offered a reward equivalent to US$66,000 ($95,000) to citizens who captured the man alive.

AP, Reuters