According to reports, Iran has increased tensions amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East by placing a bounty on American pilots after claiming to have shot down a US fighter jet.

Images purportedly showing the aircraft’s wreckage were released by Iranian state-affiliated media, which claimed that the pilot had ejected over Iranian territory. Residents in the provinces of Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad are being asked to turn over any captured US pilots to security forces in exchange for a reward, according to authorities.

State television also announced a financial incentive for information leading to the capture of the pilots. US officials have not confirmed the claim, and the Pentagon has not responded publicly. Previous Iranian claims of downed aircraft have often been disputed by Washington.

Reports indicate that search and rescue efforts may be underway, with helicopters reportedly seen over Tehran amid suggestions that two pilots could be missing. If confirmed, the incident would mark the first time a US jet has been brought down in enemy territory since the current conflict began.

The development comes amid escalating hostilities, with US President Donald Trump warning that military operations against Iran could intensify.

“Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran,” Trump said. “Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants! New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!”

The conflict has continued to spread across the region, with Iran launching strikes on energy infrastructure, including a fire reported at Kuwait’s Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery, while air defence systems were activated in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in response to drone threats.

Meanwhile, Israel has carried out retaliatory strikes in Tehran and the central city of Isfahan, further intensifying the regional confrontation.