Missing US airman: What we know so far
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What to know about Missing US airman: What we know so far
What we know so far about the search for missing US airman in Iran US and Iranian forces have been searching for a missing American crew member after a US warplane was shot down.
Claims checked
6
Techniques found
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Topics
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Coverage spectrum
Coverage gap: Low Left coverage7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.
What happened
What we know so far about the search for missing US airman in Iran US and Iranian forces have been searching for a missing American crew member after a US warplane was shot down.
Why it matters
Iran claimed to have shot down two US warplanes, one F-15 flying over the southwest of the country and a second plane involved in a mission to rescue the F-15's crew.
Common ground
One member was rescued and the other airman is still missing, the BBC's news partner CBS reports.
Perspective signals
No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.
Follow-up questions
- What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Missing US airman: What we know so far?
- What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Iran claimed to have shot down two US warplanes, one F-15 flying over the southwest of the country and a second plane involved in a mission to rescue the F-15's crew?
- What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?
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Read the original article: https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c7vqlr5gqr0o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
fact_checkClaims Checked
eFinder analyzed this article and checked 6 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.
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Verified By Reference
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Insufficient Evidence
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Claim 1: “Iran claimed to have shot down two US warplanes, one F-15 flying over the southwest of the country and a second plane involved in a mission to rescue the F-15's crew.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia entries mention general Iran-US relations and a 2026 war timeline but provide no specific details about Iran shooting down two US warplanes or rescue missions.
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wikipedia
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— Relations between Iran and the United States in modern-day are unsettled and have a troubled history. They began in the mid-to-late 19th century, when Iran was known to the Western world as Qajar Pers…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–United_States_relations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–United_States_relations
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wikipedia
NEUTRAL
— This timeline of the 2026 Iran war covers the period since 28 February 2026. The war is ongoing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2026_Iran_war
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2026_Iran_war
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wikipedia
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— The Twelve-Day War was an armed conflict between Iran and Israel which lasted from 13 to 24 June 2025. It began when Israel bombed military and nuclear facilities in Iran in a surprise attack, assassi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-Day_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-Day_War
Claim 2: “US and Iranian forces have been searching for a missing American crew member after a US warplane was shot down.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia entries provide no direct evidence of a US warplane being shot down or a missing crew member search. The cited sources discuss unrelated historical relations and military conflicts.
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wikipedia
NEUTRAL
— On June 22, 2025, the United States Air Force and Navy attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran as part of the Twelve-Day War, under the code name Operation Midnight Hammer. The Fordow Uranium Enrich…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_United_States_strikes_on_…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_United_States_strikes_on_…
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wikipedia
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— On April 12, 2025, Iran and the United States began a series of negotiations aimed at reaching a nuclear peace agreement, following a letter from U.S. president Donald Trump to Iranian supreme leader …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–2026_Iran–United_States_n…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–2026_Iran–United_States_n…
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wikipedia
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— Relations between Iran and the United States in modern-day are unsettled and have a troubled history. They began in the mid-to-late 19th century, when Iran was known to the Western world as Qajar Pers…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–United_States_relations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–United_States_relations
Claim 3: “The pilot of the second downed plane, an A-10 Warthog, ejected safely over the Gulf and was rescued, CBS reports.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in Wikipedia or other sources to support claims about an A-10 Warthog pilot's rescue.
Claim 4: “Two crew members were in the F-15 jet. One member was rescued and the other airman is still missing, the BBC's news partner CBS reports.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia entries about CBS News and the F-35 Lightning II are unrelated to the specific incident described in the claim about an F-15 jet and crew status.
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— The CBS Evening News (titled as CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil since January 3, 2026) is the flagship evening television news program of CBS News, the news division of the CBS television network …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBS_Evening_News
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBS_Evening_News
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wikipedia
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— CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio broadcaster CBS headquartered in New York City. Along with ABC News and NBC News, it has long been among the big three broadcast news…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBS_News
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBS_News
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wikipedia
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— The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, supersonic stealth strike fighters. A multirole combat aircraft designed for air superiority and strike missi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning…
Claim 5: “US crews were reportedly met with gunfire during search-and-rescue efforts.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in Wikipedia or other sources to support claims about gunfire during search-and-rescue operations.
Claim 6: “Iran is offering rewards to anyone who can capture the missing crew member alive, Iranian state TV reports.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in Wikipedia or other sources to support claims about Iranian reward offers for a missing crew member.
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Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.