US Airman Rescued in Iran After Fighter Jet Shootdown, Trump Says
By Tahir Shah :
An American military officer has been rescued after being stranded behind enemy lines in Iran, following the downing of a US fighter jet, President Donald Trump announced on Sunday.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said the United States military had carried out what he described as one of the most daring search-and-rescue missions in the country’s history. He said the officer, identified as a colonel, had been trapped in mountainous terrain inside Iran after his aircraft was shot down during the ongoing conflict.
“WE GOT HIM!” Mr Trump wrote, adding that the airman had been pursued by enemy forces before being successfully recovered. He said the officer sustained injuries but was now “safe and sound”.
The White House later confirmed the operation, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt sharing the president’s statement on social media. The rescued officer was the second member of a two-person crew from an F-15 fighter jet that Iranian authorities said had been brought down by air defences on Friday.
According to US officials cited by international media, the first crew member had already been recovered earlier, prompting a major search effort for the remaining airman. Iranian officials had also urged civilians to help locate the pilot, raising concerns in Washington that he could be captured and used as leverage in the conflict.
The rescue operation reportedly involved dozens of US military aircraft and faced heavy resistance from Iranian forces. Earlier reports indicated that two Black Hawk helicopters involved in the search were hit by Iranian fire but managed to exit Iranian airspace.
In a separate incident linked to the operation, an A-10 Warthog aircraft was reportedly struck and later crashed in Kuwait after its pilot ejected safely.
Mr Trump hailed the mission as a major success, saying the rescue of both aircrew members without American fatalities demonstrated US military superiority in the skies over Iran.
The incident comes as the war between the United States, Israel and Iran enters its sixth week. The conflict began after joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February and has since expanded across the region.
Tensions remain high, with Mr Trump recently issuing a 48-hour warning to Tehran, demanding that it reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reach an agreement with Washington or face further military action. In response, Iranian officials dismissed the ultimatum and warned that continued escalation could turn the wider Middle East into what they described as “hell” for the United States and its allies.
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