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Israel is not taking part in U.S. efforts to locate and recover two pilots from a downed F-15E fighter jet in Iran, according to local media reports.
Channel 14 reported that the Israeli army has stayed out of the ongoing search-and-rescue operation, leaving the U.S. forces to handle the response on their own.
A U.S. fighter jet was shot down over central Iran on Friday, with initial reports indicating both pilots ejected before the aircraft crashed and landed inside Iranian territory.
Their fate remains unclear. Some Iranian media reports suggest they survived the ejection, while others indicate Iranian forces may have taken at least one pilot into custody.
U.S. forces have launched search-and-rescue operations, but the crew’s exact condition and location remain unknown, U.S. officials told CNN.
The White House also confirmed that the U.S. aircraft was shot down, with spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt telling CNN that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the incident.
Israel and the United States launched coordinated strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, triggering a wider regional war as Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the Middle East.
The incident marks the first time a U.S. aircraft has been shot down over Iran during the war. Earlier in the conflict, three F-15 jets were lost in a friendly fire incident involving Kuwaiti air defenses.
Iranian state media released footage and images said to show debris from the crash site, including parts of the aircraft and what appears to be an ejection seat. Early assessments suggest the jet was an F-15.
Iranian authorities moved quickly to locate the pilots, urging both security forces and civilians to assist in the search. Local broadcasts called on residents to report or detain the pilots, with some accounts indicating that rewards were offered for capturing them alive.
At the same time, Iranian sources flagged that the scale of the explosion could have reduced the chances of survival, adding another layer of uncertainty to the situation.
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