Armed Iranians are searching for the U.S. service member whose plane was shot down Friday by Tehran, The Sun reported.
The U.S. warplane, identified by Iran as an F-15E Strike Eagle, was one of two attacked on Friday, with one service member rescued.
Iran has promised a reward for whoever turns in the missing pilot. It is the first time the United States has lost aircraft in Iranian territory during the war, now in its sixth week, which could further pressure President Donald Trump to end the fighting.
The search focused on a mountainous region in Iran's southwestern province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad.
An anchor on a channel affiliated with Iranian state television urged residents to hand over any "enemy pilot" to police, a first in the war. Iran previously made claims about shooting down piloted aircraft that turned out not to be true.
The war began with joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Feb. 28 and has killed thousands, shaken global markets, cut off key shipping routes and spiked fuel prices. It shows no signs of slowing as Iran responds with attacks across the region.
Iran shooting down two American military jets marks an exceedingly rare assault for the U.S. that has not happened in more than 20 years and shows the Islamic Republic's continued ability to hit back despite Trump asserting it has been "completely decimated."
The last time a U.S. warplane was shot down by enemy fire in combat was an A-10 Thunderbolt II during the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, said retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell, a former F-16 fighter pilot.
According to the Sun, some Iranian men armed with rifles were searching for the service member.
"Don't worry, we will find them, God willing," one said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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