U.S. Rescues Missing Crew Member From Downed Fighter Jet in Iran, Trump Says
President Donald Trump said Sunday a missing U.S. airman was rescued in Iran after what he called a daring military operation.
U.S. President Donald Trump said a missing American airman had been successfully rescued in Iran, describing the operation as one of the boldest search-and-rescue missions in U.S. military history.
In a social media post, Trump wrote: “We got him!” and said U.S. forces had carried out a high-risk mission over recent hours to recover the officer, who he said was now “safe and secure.”
The rescued officer was one of the two crew members aboard an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet that went down over Iran on Friday. One crew member was recovered shortly after the crash, while efforts to locate the second continued for more than a day.
Reports said the rescue was carried out after U.S. special operations forces pushed deep into Iranian territory under dangerous conditions, amid reported fire from Iranian forces and an active search for the missing crew member.
Trump said the rescued officer had suffered only minor injuries and praised the operation as a symbol of American military strength and bravery. Iranian media had earlier reported that a reward had been offered for information leading to the pilot’s capture.
The rescue came after Iran shot down the F-15E in what Reuters described as the first confirmed downing of a U.S. fighter jet over Iranian territory in the current conflict. U.S. officials had earlier confirmed that search-and-rescue operations were underway after one of the aircraft’s two crew members remained missing.
The episode has highlighted the growing risks facing U.S. air operations over Iran, where American aircraft have increasingly come under pressure despite repeated claims of air superiority. The loss of the aircraft and the dramatic rescue effort have added to the sense of escalation in an already widening war.
Trump’s announcement is likely to offer a political and military boost to Washington, but it also underlines how quickly the conflict is intensifying and how deeply U.S. forces are now operating inside Iranian territory.
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