U.S. forces safely rescued the second F-15E crew member of a two-seat fighter jet that went down over Iran on Friday, according to two U.S. officials late Saturday.
President Donald Trump hailed the rescue as “an Easter miracle” in a message to NBC News. He commended the U.S. forces for their swift and decisive actions, stating, “The Iranians thought they had him, but it wasn’t even close. And remember, we got two, but couldn’t talk about the first in that it would have highlighted that there was a second.”
The second airman was safely extracted from Iran, the officials confirmed, with rescue teams unharmed in the operation. President Trump also mentioned that the rescued airman, identified as a “highly respected Colonel,” had sustained injuries but would recover.
Following the crash, the plane’s pilot was quickly located. A senior Trump administration official disclosed that the successful rescue of the second crew member was facilitated through CIA intervention.
The CIA initiated a deceptive campaign within Iran, misleading authorities by claiming that the airman had been found and was being transported out of the country. This tactic allowed for the safe retrieval of the American crew member.
President Trump praised the military leaders for their efforts and revealed that he had dispatched multiple aircraft armed with lethal weapons to assist in the search mission.
The Iranian armed forces reported U.S. aircraft losses during the rescue operation, including two Black Hawk helicopters and one C-130 transport plane. However, Iranian media accused the U.S. of creating confusion and claimed that the attempt to recover the downed fighter pilot was unsuccessful.
The incident marked the first time an American aircraft had gone down in Iran during the ongoing conflict, challenging the perception of U.S. control over Iranian airspace.
Amid escalating tensions, the U.S. conducted increased bombing operations in the region. President Trump dismissed concerns about the incident affecting negotiations to end the war, emphasizing that it was a wartime situation.
Despite previous claims by Iran, confirmed incidents of striking American military planes during the conflict remained unverified by the U.S. Iran’s media released images alleging the destruction of the F-15E jet by their advanced air defense system.
A U.S. A-10 Thunderbolt responding to the rescue mission was also targeted by Iranian fire after the F-15E crash, leading to the pilot ejecting and the plane crashing in Kuwaiti airspace. The pilot survived, and the A-10 went down in Kuwait. Expert analysis suggested the aircraft was likely stationed at Royal Air Force Lakenheath.
