IRANIAN AIRSPACE — Polymarket issued an apology for allowing users to place bets on the fate of American pilots aboard a U.S. fighter jet that was downed over Iranian airspace. The prediction market platform said it took the market down immediately because it did not meet its integrity standards, a spokesperson said.

A two-seater F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down on Friday over Iranian airspace, according to a U.S. official. One crew member was rescued and the other remains missing.

In a now-deleted market, Polymarket users were able to wager on when the pilots might be rescued, with the majority predicting a Saturday rescue. The platform said it was investigating how the market slipped through its internal safeguards, a spokesperson said.

U.S. Representative Seth Moulton criticized the market in a post on X, noting that bets were being placed while a search and rescue operation was ongoing in Iranian airspace. Moulton described the market as disgusting.

After Polymarket removed the listing, Moulton said in a reply on X that taking down that bet was only the first step. "There are still 219 war bets active on your platform. Remove these immediately," Moulton wrote.

Prediction market platforms have recently come under congressional scrutiny. Last month, lawmakers introduced a Senate bill that would ban prediction markets from accepting or listing transactions related to sports events and casino-style games.

In recent weeks, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., pledged to introduce legislation to ban bets tied to government actions, citing wagers made on the ongoing war.