He is “safe and sound.” The second American pilot sought since Friday after his plane crashed in Iran was rescued during a military operation, President Donald Trump announced on Sunday, April 5. The plane, an F-15E fighter-bomber, crashed in southwest Iran and its two occupants were ejected in flight.
The Iranian army claimed to have shot down this aircraft, and promised a reward for the capture of the second occupant, the first being exfiltrated shortly after during a special forces operation by the Americans.
“Over the past few hours, the American military has conducted one of the most audacious search and rescue operations in U.S. history to assist one of our incredible crew officers, who is also a highly respected colonel, and I am delighted to announce that he is now SAFE AND SOUND!” wrote the American president on his Truth Social network. He specified that the soldier had been injured and that the rescue operation had deployed “dozens of aircraft.”
The Iranian army claims to have shot down three American aircraft
The Tasnim news agency, citing the Revolutionary Guards, claimed that an American aircraft involved in the search operations had been “destroyed,” without further details. On Sunday, the Khatam Al-Anbiya Joint Operations Command claimed that three American military aircraft involved in the soldier’s rescue had been shot down.
“The enemy aircraft that entered southern Isfahan — including two Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 military transport plane — have been struck and are now in flames,” he declared, adding that the American rescue operation had “failed.” State media broadcast images of scorched debris scattered in a desert area, with smoke still rising.
Tasnim news agency reported that strikes during the rescue operation had killed five people in southwestern Iran, without specifying whether they were civilians or military.
Iran continues to attack Gulf countries and Israel
Since the beginning of the war, no American soldiers have been killed or captured on Iranian soil, but 13 have died in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. On the 37th day of the war against Iran triggered by the United States and Israel on February 28, Tehran once again attacked Gulf countries and the Jewish state on Sunday.
Kuwait announced on Sunday that Iranian attacks on two power and water desalination plants, as well as on the capital’s government complex, had caused significant damage, without any casualties. Earlier, the Iranian military, in a message cited by the Fars news agency, had threatened to target water and energy infrastructure in Israel and the Gulf countries after Israeli-American strikes on a petrochemical site in the Mahshahr Special Economic Zone in southwestern Iran.
According to a senior Iranian official, these strikes on three facilities in the sector killed five and injured 170 on Saturday. An alert was also triggered Sunday morning in Israel, where the army said it was facing a new barrage of Iranian missiles. Attacks were also reported by authorities in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
Trump maintains his ultimatum
Meanwhile, Israel continues its offensive against the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, where bombings and fighting have killed over 1,400 people since early March.
American President Donald Trump reiterated on Saturday that his ultimatum, issued to Iran on March 26 to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under threat of strikes against its power plants, was still in effect.
“Do you remember when I gave Iran 10 days to CONCLUDE AN AGREEMENT or REOPEN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. Time is running out – 48 hours until I unleash hell on them,” wrote the American president on his Truth Social platform.
“The aggressive and belligerent American president, after suffering successive defeats, has undertaken, in an impotent, unstable, nervous, and stupid manner, to threaten the infrastructure and assets of Iran,” said General Ali Abdollahi, head of the Iranian armed forces command. “The gates of hell will open for you,” he threatened.
