A second U.S. combat aircraft has gone down near the Strait of Hormuz, compounding a rapidly escalating series of incidents after an F-15 was downed earlier over southern Iran, according to U.S. officials and multiple media reports.

Two U.S. officials told The New York Times that an A-10 Warthog crashed around the same time as the F-15 incident, with the pilot successfully rescued.

The near-simultaneous losses of two aircraft mark a significant intensification in the unfolding confrontation, particularly given the strategic sensitivity of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil chokepoint.

Separately, a U.S. helicopter involved in the search for the downed F-15 was struck by a projectile, according to Iran's Mehr News Agency, raising further concerns about the safety of recovery operations in contested airspace.

Of the two pilots aboard the F-15, one has been rescued alive by U.S. forces, two U.S. officials told NBC News, while the second remains unaccounted for.

The rescued pilot is undergoing medical treatment, two U.S. officials confirmed to Newsmax.

Details surrounding the cause of both crashes remain unclear. It is not known whether enemy fire, mechanical failure, or other factors were involved, though the clustering of incidents in a narrow timeframe is likely to intensify scrutiny.

The Pentagon has not issued a formal statement on the second crash, and Iranian officials have not publicly commented on the A-10 incident.

The developments come amid sharply rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, with the loss of multiple aircraft and the attack on the rescue helicopter underscoring the risk of a broader military escalation in and around the Strait of Hormuz.