Iran media shares visuals of ‘wreckage’ after US aircraft shot down in Isfahan | Video

Iranian state media aired images showing burnt debris that appeared to be from an aircraft in a desert area.

Published on: Apr 6, 2026, 11:59:32 IST

Edited by Aryan Mudgal

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A video allegedly showing parts of an American aircraft involved in a rescue mission for a US aviator was shared by Tehran’s state broadcaster on social media. The aviator’s F-15E Strike Eagle jet was shot down by Iran last week.

An image released on April 5, 2026, and obtained from social media appears to show wreckage of an American aircraft and a helicopter rotor in Isfahan, Iran. (Social Media via REUTERS)

On Sunday, Iranian military officials said that two C-130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters belonging to the US army were destroyed in southern Iran’s Isfahan province during the mission to locate the stranded crew member. Follow US-Iran war live updates here.

Visuals show ‘wreckage’ of downed aircraft

Iran and the United States had been searching since Friday for the second crew member of the F-15E. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said the officer had been found during a search and rescue mission.

Iranian state media aired images showing burnt debris that appeared to be from an aircraft in a desert area. Officials said two C-130 transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters were destroyed.

ALSO READ | F-15 airman's 3-word message after Iran shootdown made US fear ‘false signals’ trap

Footage shared by Iran's Press TV shows two burnt propellers and engines. HT could not verify the authenticity of the video.

Open-source geolocation experts told news agency AFP that the images were taken about 50 kilometres south of Isfahan.

Notably, Iran claimed it had destroyed several US Army aircraft in Isfahan province. Washington, however, said American forces destroyed two C-130 planes after they got stuck, while other aircraft were used to evacuate the rescue teams safely.

Who is the rescued airman?

Very little has been made public about him. It is, however, known that the weapons systems operator seated behind the pilot in the advanced F-15E fighter jet that was shot down last Friday.

Trump said the pilot had been rescued by special forces in a daylight operation on Friday, shortly after the crash in the mountainous Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province in southwest Iran.

The airman was injured after ejecting but was able to move. Trump wrote on Sunday that he had been "seriously wounded".

Reports say he climbed a 2,100-metre (7,000-foot) ridge in the mountains before hiding in a crevice, according to The New York Times and Axios.

With inputs from agencies

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aryan Mudgal
Aryan Mudgal is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly three years of experience. He is part of the digital news team at HT and enjoys covering day-to-day news and writing long, detailed explainers on key national and global affairs. He takes particular interest in reading and writing about Indian politics, crime, civic issues, as well as global affairs. He goes berserk when covering elections, especially Lok Sabha and assembly polls, and always looks out for fresh stories that could intrigue readers. At Hindustan Times, Aryan has covered various major events, including the Bihar assembly elections, Maharashtra civic polls, the US' military action in Venezuela, Union Budget, and Bangladesh elections. He has previously worked with the explainers team at Firstpost and the news desk at Times Network, covering a range of events including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Israel–Hamas war, Russia-Ukraine war, Bangladesh’s student protests and Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, Delhi assembly elections, and more. He completed his bachelor’s degree in CEP (Communications & Media, English, and Psychology) from Christ University, Bengaluru, and later pursued a postgraduate diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). He hails from Siliguri in West Bengal and enjoys reading about politics and day-to-day issues concerning the state. Outside of work, Aryan loves listening to music and enjoys rewatching his favourite comfort shows.Read More

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