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The loss of a U.S. Air Force F-15E and an A-10 in separate incidents on Friday brought the known toll of manned American aircraft destroyed in the war with Iran to seven.
One pilot from the downed F-15E is still missing as search and rescue operations continued deep inside Iranian territory, as U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the shoot-down "would not affect" negotiations.
The Pentagon notified the House Armed Services Committee that one crew member from the F-15 had been recovered alive, while the second service member's duty status was listed as unknown, a congressional aide said, speaking to The Associated Press (AP) on condition of anonymity.
That designation generally means the Defense Department does not know the person's whereabouts and they are considered missing.
"Two U.S. military helicopters involved in the search and rescue effort were struck by Iranian fire, though all service members aboard were safe," a U.S. official who spoke to NBC News said.
In a brief phone interview with NBC News, Trump refused to discuss the specifics of the rescue operation but expressed frustration with the media's coverage.
Asked whether the shoot-down would affect negotiations with Iran, Trump replied: "No, not at all. No, it's war. We're in war, Garrett."
Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported that a U.S. proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire had been rejected, citing an unnamed source. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier this week that Tehran would only accept a permanent end to the war, not a ceasefire.
The F-15 and A-10 losses on Friday add to a growing list of aircraft destroyed since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28.
On March 2, three F-15s were downed by Kuwaiti air defenses in a friendly fire incident over Kuwait. All six crew members ejected safely, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said this week the three pilots had returned to action in raids on Iran.
On March 12, six U.S. air crew members were killed when their KC-135 jet tanker crashed in Iraq. The military said the refueling aircraft was not downed by hostile or friendly fire but was involved in an incident with another aircraft during the operation. The second aircraft landed safely.
On March 26, a U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft was destroyed on the tarmac in an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, according to photos geolocated by CNN. The attack left at least 10 U.S. service members injured. A U.S. Air Force tanker aircraft was also damaged.
Additionally, a U.S. F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at a U.S. base in the Middle East last month after being struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, two sources told CNN.
Pentagon data released Friday showed 365 U.S. service members have been wounded in action (WIA) since the war began. The Army accounted for 247 wounded, the Navy 63, the Air Force 36 and the Marines 19.
Of the wounded, 200 were mid-to-senior enlisted troops, 85 were officers and 80 were junior enlisted service members.
It was unclear whether the figures included service members involved in Friday's aircraft incidents.
The death toll stands at 13 U.S. service members killed in combat.
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