A second US service member whose plane was shot down in Iranian territory has been rescued in a daring operation. It was a clear success for the US president at a time when pressure mounts to end the war, disrupting global energy supplies and raising fears of further escalation.
This morning, President Donald Trump announced in a triumphant post on Truth Social that the second U.S. service member from a downed F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet has been rescued.
A frantic search began after the plane was shot down over Iran on Friday, with state media publishing photos of what they said were the plane’s wreckage and a damaged ejection seat that CNN analysis matched to that of an F-15E. The first crew member was rescued alive shortly after the crash.
President Trump touted the operation as “the first time in military memory that two U.S. military pilots were rescued separately deep in enemy territory.”
The exact details of this surprising operation are not yet clear. Here’s what we know and what we don’t know so far.
Two U.S. service members from a U.S. F-15 fighter jet shot down over Iran on Friday have been rescued. The first person was rescued immediately after the accident and is currently receiving medical treatment.
The second soldier, a colonel, “suffered injuries,” Trump said, adding that he would be “okay.”
The rescue prevented the crew from becoming a “strategic bargaining chip” for Tehran, as CNN national security analyst Alex Pritsas pointed out.
President Trump said the rescue operation involved dozens of planes carrying “the most lethal weapons.” There were no casualties among U.S. soldiers during the rescue, he added.
The Iranian military announced that US forces used an abandoned airstrip to carry out the operation. Although the US has not yet confirmed this, CNN used satellite imagery to identify an area near where Iranian state media images reportedly showed the plane’s wreckage.
Mick Ryan, a retired Australian Army major general and senior military research fellow at the Lowy Institute, said this was a feat no one else in the world could accomplish “like the US military”.
The exact details of the rescue operation and where it took place are not known. Pritsas said the operation could go down as “one of the most tragic rescue operations in U.S. military history.”
The exact location and identity of the second soldier remains unknown. President Trump said the U.S. military was monitoring his location 24 hours a day and was “devotingly planning his rescue.”
Questions remain about the nature of the injuries, as ejection from a military aircraft can cause extreme shock and trauma to the crew. Former Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath previously told CNN that this is “a very violent thing that happens to your body.”
Despite many in Iran calling for the immediate capture of the second downed American crew member and authorities offering a bounty for anyone who finds and hands him over, he evaded capture by enemy forces for almost two days. The airman had contact with the U.S. military as early as Friday, CNN chief security analyst Jim Schutt said.
Iranian state media is doing everything in its power to undermine President Trump’s moment of victory, flatly denying that the US has rescued the missing military personnel.
Iran’s state-run Tasnim news agency claimed that “several enemy US military aircraft” were destroyed in the Isfahan region.
“Enemy aircraft that entered the southern part of Isfahan, including two Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 military transport aircraft, were attacked and are now on fire,” the report said.
Videos and images released by Iranian state media and located by CNN appear to show the charred remains of several planes in southern Isfahan province.
State media claimed that the plane shown in the image was shot down by Iranian forces. In a post on Truth Social, President Trump did not mention any aircraft losses, but said no U.S. service members were injured or killed in the operation. CNN has reached out to the U.S. military for comment.
A successful rescue operation may not have a significant impact on the overall conflict.
But it was rare positive news for President Trump, who called on all Americans to stand proud and united in this mission. He described it as a “moment that Republicans, Democrats and all Americans should be proud of and come together in.”
It would also avoid disruption to U.S. hostage negotiations that could occur if U.S. airmen were captured by Iran.
Still, the war continues, and President Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face “hell” expires on Monday. This follows a 10-day extension of the ultimatum previously granted by the United States.
CNN’s Tim Lister, Danya Gainor, Jessie Yeung and Kit Maher contributed reporting.
