Amid the ongoing hostilities between Iran, the United States, and Israel, a video circulating widely on social media has fuelled fresh speculation that another American fighter jet may have been downed during combat operations.
The footage, which surfaced online late Tuesday night, has prompted claims that a fourth F-15E Strike Eagle may have been shot down while flying over southwestern Iran. However, the authenticity of the video and the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident remain unverified.
Prominent air power analyst Tom Cooper has also suggested that a fourth F-15E Strike Eagle belonging to the United States Air Force could have been lost over Iranian territory. According to him, the aircraft may have gone down during a strike mission over southwestern Iran amid the intensifying aerial campaign.
A fourth American F-15 Strike Eagle has been shot down, this time over southwestern Iran, claims top air power analyst Tom Cooper, no confirmation/denial yet from USAF/Govt pic.twitter.com/vUg96KdZG3
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) March 5, 2026
OSINT accounts circulate details of F-15 crash
The claim gained traction after it was highlighted by the OSINT-focused social media account SentDefender, which has over two million followers and is notably followed by Elon Musk.
In a post published on Wednesday, March 4, the account stated that it had spoken with multiple sources who suggested that an F-15E Strike Eagle crashed during a strike mission over southwestern Iran.
According to the post, at least one source attributed the loss to Iranian air defences. Both crew members, the pilot and the weapon systems officer (WSO), reportedly managed to eject safely over Iranian territory.
Joint US-Israeli rescue operation reportedly launched
The post further alleged that a rapid Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) mission was launched soon after the reported crash.
According to the claims, rescue elements from both the United States Air Force and the Israeli Air Force, which were reportedly on standby in a neighboring country, entered Iranian airspace roughly an hour after the aircraft went down.
In what has been described as a high-risk wartime extraction, both crewmembers were allegedly located and evacuated without further incident. The report claims they were first transported to Prince Sultan Air Base.
The crew members were reportedly in “good condition” despite sustaining minor injuries.
According to the same source, they were later flown to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base for additional medical treatment.
Additional social media claims surface
Another widely followed account on X belonging to Douglas Macgregor, a retired US Army colonel and commentator on military affairs, also suggested that an F-15 Strike Eagle may have been shot down during the conflict.
However, no independent confirmation has emerged so far to substantiate these claims.
The United States denies claims, calling them baseless
However, the US denied claims. The official X account of US Central Command rubbished the claims as ‘rumours’, adding that they are baseless and not true.
🚫 Rumors circulating on social media of a U.S. F-15E crash in Iran early Wednesday are baseless and NOT TRUE. pic.twitter.com/yuLoN5cJ0h
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 5, 2026
Earlier incident involving 3 F-15E jets
The new reports surfaced just days after a separate and confirmed aviation incident involving American fighter aircraft.
According to the United States Central Command, three F-15E Strike Eagle jets crashed in Kuwait late Sunday due to what officials described as an “apparent friendly fire incident.”
Kuwaiti air defence systems mistakenly engaged the aircraft while they were flying in support of Operation Epic Fury.
All six crew members aboard the three jets successfully ejected and survived the incident. Military officials confirmed that the crash occurred late Sunday evening Eastern Time on March 1.
An investigation into the friendly fire incident is currently underway.
No official confirmation or denial yet
Despite the growing online discussion, US military officials have not confirmed the alleged fourth crash.
Officials have also previously pushed back against several wartime claims circulating online, particularly those originating from Iranian sources, which the US military has said were inaccurate or misleading.
As of now, the alleged downing of another F-15E Strike Eagle over Iran remains unverified, and further clarity may only come if United States Central Command releases an official statement in the coming days.
