After 36 hours, U.S. forces extracted an airman who ejected after his F-15 fighter jet was shot down by Iranian forces.
By World Israel News Staff
The second American airman who ejected from a fighter jet struck by Iran was rescued by U.S. forces late Saturday night, President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform.
“WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND!” Trump posted on the network.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the airman spent approximately 36 hours in a mountainous region of Iran after being wounded in the crash. To reach safety, the airman had to carry out a “daring move to meet his rescue team,” though the paper, citing anonymous defense sources, did not provide further details about the maneuver.
On Friday, Iran downed an F-15E fighter jet, with both crew members ejecting before the aircraft hit the ground.
The pilot was recovered within several hours of the incident, but the second Air Force member was not immediately found, prompting an intense search-and-rescue mission.
Iran offered a large cash reward to any citizen who could capture the airman alive and turn him over to regime authorities. The airman was reportedly spotted by locals, and U.S. Air Force drones repeatedly opened fire on individuals attempting to approach him.
The Journal report noted that extensive air support was used in the operation, which included commando teams on the ground extracting the wounded airman. Despite the complexity of the mission, there was reportedly little resistance from Iranian forces during the rescue.
The airman, a weapons specialist who has not yet been publicly identified, sustained injuries in the incident.
However, U.S. officials told Axios that the airman “could still walk” and had successfully “evaded the Iranians in the mountains for more than a day.”