'Capture Enemy Pilots Alive': Iran Channel Offers Reward After US Jet Downed

A US fighter jet was downed over Iran on Friday. This is the first known loss of a US jet inside the country since the war began on February 28.

According to The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, the plane was an F-15E fighter jet. The warplane is crewed by a pilot and a weapons-systems officer in the back seat.

However, one of the two crew on the plane had already been rescued by US special forces, but the search was ongoing for the second crew member, Axios and CBS News reported.

An Iranian channel announced a reward for civilians if the pilots were captured and handed over to the police and military forces.

An anchor on the channel read out an announcement saying, "Military forces have launched a search operation to find the American fighter pilot who was hit earlier today. Dear and honourable people of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, if you capture the enemy pilot or pilots alive and hand them over to the police and military forces, you will receive a valuable reward and bonus."

Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province is an intensely rural and mountainous region that spans over 15,500 square kilometres (5,900 square miles). Iranian authorities also urged the public to search in neighbouring Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.

A separate on-screen crawl urged the public to "shoot them if you see them." 

Civilians had rushed in private cars towards the crash site to capture the American pilot. However, the Iranian armed forces have urged the public to not let anyone mistreat the pilot.

Iran's state broadcaster IRIB posted on X, "Many people in southwestern Iran have gone to the area around the crash site of the American fighter jet in private cars to capture the American pilot. The Iranian armed forces have called on the people NOT TO LET anyone mistreat the pilot."

Photos and video circulating on social media and Iranian news outlets were cited by major US media outlets as showing US helicopters and other aircraft flying at low altitude over the presumed site of the downed fighter jet.