Iranian state-affiliated media channels have urged citizens to “capture the pilot alive,” offering a reward of approximately £50,000 ($66,100).
This bounty is notably higher than the country’s estimated monthly salary range, which sits between £150 and £230.
The call for capture follows reports that an American fighter jet was shot down in Iran. According to Iranian outlets, one of the two crew members ejected from the aircraft and may have landed in the southern region of the country.
United States officials have informed CBS, the BBC’s US news partner, that the pilot of the jet has been successfully rescued; however, the second crew member, identified as a weapon systems officer, remains missing.
In response to the reports, videos have begun circulating showing armed civilians in two southern provinces searching for the missing officer.
One unverified video from the southern Khuzestan province depicts several men carrying firearms and the flag of the Islamic Republic conducting a search. In the footage, one individual is heard saying, “God willing, we will find him”.
