US rescues missing crew member in Iran after fighter jet shot down, Trump says
United States forces have rescued the missing crew member of a fighter jet that was shot down over Iran, and all personnel involved in the rescue have returned safely, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social today.
“WE GOT HIM!” the US President said.
“The United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND!”
The intense search-and-rescue operation was launched after the US Air Force F-15E jet crashed and both crew members ejected.
While one crew member was quickly rescued, the search continued into today for the second.
The mission was high risk, with US C-130s and rescue helicopters flying low and slow over Iran’s mountainous terrain to locate the missing airman, who served as the weapons systems officer on the Air Force F-15E jet.
As the search was ongoing, Iranian television broadcast a statement offering a reward for the recovery of the downed crew members.
Another broadcast called on residents to “target” any Americans they found. IRIB, the state broadcaster, said on social media that “many people” had gone to the crash site and that the Iranian military had “called on the people NOT TO LET anyone mistreat the pilot”.
Around the same time that the fighter jet was shot down, an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack plane was struck by incoming fire from Iran.
Before ejecting, the pilot was able to get the aircraft to Kuwaiti airspace and was also rescued.
In addition, two of the rescue helicopters that had been searching for the missing F-15 crew member took ground fire by Iran during the operation.
Some of the service members on board were injured, but all returned safely to base, US officials earlier told the Washington Post.
The incident marked the first known instance of an American crewed aircraft being brought down inside hostile territory since the US and Israel started the war on Iran five weeks ago.
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