Trump: US Service Member Has Been Rescued
AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool
A U.S. service member who had been missing after Iran shot down an American fighter jet has been rescued, according to a statement posted early Sunday by President Trump.
The aircrew member had been unaccounted for since Friday, when an Iranian strike brought down a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle, according to reports. Another member of the aircraft’s crew had already been recovered earlier.
In a message on Truth Social, President Trump announced the successful rescue, writing “WE GOT HIM,” and describing the mission as one of the most daring search-and-rescue efforts ever carried out by the United States military. He said the operation involved dozens of aircraft and confirmed the rescued aviator suffered injuries but is expected to recover.
President Trump said the service member had been stranded behind enemy lines in Iran’s mountainous terrain while hostile forces searched for him. Despite the danger, he said military leaders and fellow service members were tracking his location continuously and coordinating a plan to bring him home safely.
He added that the newly announced rescue followed another successful mission the previous day that recovered the second pilot from the downed aircraft. Officials had delayed confirming that earlier rescue to avoid risking the ongoing operation to recover the remaining crew member.
The F-15E crash marked the first time an American aircraft has gone down inside Iranian territory since the conflict began in late February. After the jet was shot down on Friday, U.S. forces launched an urgent search-and-rescue mission focused on a rugged mountainous area in Iran’s southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province.
Iranian authorities also reportedly offered a reward for information leading to the capture of the pilot they referred to as an “enemy pilot.”
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