Donald Trump on Sunday announced the successful rescue of a second US crew member from a downed F-15E fighter jet in Iran, describing the operation as one of the most daring search-and-rescue missions in American military history.
In a celebratory post, Trump declared, “WE GOT HIM!”, confirming that the injured airman had been exfiltrated “safely out of Iran” following a high-risk operation deep inside hostile territory.
High-stakes rescue ‘behind enemy lines’
Providing details, Trump said the rescued officer — a highly respected Colonel — had been stranded in treacherous mountainous terrain and was being actively pursued.
“At my direction, the US Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the world, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine,” Trump said.
He added that the airman was “behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran,” with enemy forces closing in “hour by hour,” but stressed that he “was never truly alone.”
According to Trump, top US leadership — including the commander-in-chief, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — monitored the situation continuously and coordinated the rescue effort “24 hours a day.”
Two rescues in hostile territory
Trump also revealed that another US pilot had been rescued a day earlier, though the operation had not been disclosed at the time to avoid jeopardising the second mission.
“This miraculous operation comes in addition to a successful rescue of another brave pilot,” he said, calling it the first time in military memory that two US pilots had been rescued separately from deep within enemy territory.
The incident follows claims by Iran that it had shot down two US military aircraft — one confirmed as an F-15E fighter jet and another reported to be an A-10 attack aircraft. Details regarding the second crash and the crew’s condition remain unclear.
Escalating tensions and parallel search efforts
The rescue mission unfolded amid heightened tensions between the US and Iran, with Tehran simultaneously launching its own efforts to locate the missing airman.
Iranian media reported that authorities had offered a reward of approximately $66,000 for capturing the pilot alive. According to local reports, search operations involved security forces, local tribes, and volunteers.
Officials were quoted as saying that civilians had even fired at US helicopters in an attempt to prevent landing during the rescue attempt.
Images circulating on social media, verified by international agencies, appeared to show Iranian police firing at a US helicopter in southwestern Iran during the operation.
‘We will never leave an American behind’
Emphasising the success of the mission, Trump said no American personnel were killed or seriously wounded during either rescue.
“WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND!” he said, adding that the operations demonstrated “overwhelming air dominance and superiority over the Iranian skies.”
Calling on Americans to take pride, Trump concluded, “We truly have the best, most professional, and lethal military in the history of the world.”
