Iran announced $60,000 Reward Offered for Missing US Pilot

As of Saturday, April 4, 2026, a high-stakes search-and-rescue race is unfolding in the rugged, mountainous terrain of southwestern Iran. While Iranian state media initially claimed to have downed an F-35 stealth jet, U.S. officials and wreckage analysis have confirmed the aircraft is a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle—marking the first piloted U.S. jet lost inside Iranian territory during this 35-day-old conflict.

“10 Billion Toman” Bounty

In a move described by analysts as “highly unusual” and a major escalation in psychological warfare, Iranian authorities have officially encouraged the local population to join the manhunt:

• The Bounty: A reward of 10 billion Toman (approximately $60,000) has been announced for any citizen who captures the “enemy pilot” alive or provides information leading to their capture.
• The Broadcast: The announcement was first aired on the official local channel in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, a southwestern region characterized by difficult, high-altitude terrain.
• Local Mobilization: Reports indicate that some residents and nomadic tribes have begun moving toward the suspected crash site, lured by the “valuable reward and bonus.”

Status of the Crew: One Rescued, One Missing

The F-15E Strike Eagle, part of the 48th Fighter Wing (RAF Lakenheath), carries a two-person crew.

• The Successful Rescue: U.S. officials have confirmed that one crew member has already been rescued in a daring low-level extraction by U.S. Special Operations forces.
• The Missing Navigator: The search continues for the second crew member. U.S. HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters and C-130 Hercules aircraft are conducting low-altitude sweeps, reportedly coming under small-arms fire from Iranian ground forces during the process.

The Wreckage: F-35 vs. F-15E

While the IRGC initially celebrated the downing of a “state-of-the-art F-35,” independent forensic analysis of the photos released by Tasnim News Agency tells a different story:

• Evidence: The wreckage shows a distinctive “LN” tail code and vertical stabilizers consistent with an F-15E, not the single-tail F-35.
• Psychological Impact: Regardless of the model, the sight of U.S. wreckage on Iranian soil has energized the IRGC, who claim a “newly deployed air defense system” was responsible for the hit.

Search and Rescue Snapshot (April 4, 2026)

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