US forces rescued the second crew member of a downed F-15 fighter jet in Iran, concluding a high-risk combat search-and-rescue mission deep inside hostile territory.
Several media outlets, including The New York Times, reported the soldier, who was recovered in southwestern Iran early on April 5, was taken to a hospital in Kuwait for medical treatment.
There was no information immediately available on whether there were any casualties from the mission, though media reports said two transport planes that were supposed to be part of the mission failed to leave a remote base in Iran. The aircraft were destroyed to keep Iran’s military from obtaining them.
“We got him,” US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after word of the rescue was made public. “He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine,” he added.
The F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down by Iranian air defenses on April 3, becoming the first US aircraft lost over Iran during the five-week conflict. The first crew member was recovered within hours of ejecting from the crippled jet.
“Mission accomplished,” a US official told RFE/RL following the operation.
US Special Operations Forces
The second crew member — identified as the weapons systems officer (WSO) — was recovered early on April 5 local time in a complex, multi-layered rescue effort involving US Special Operations forces and other military units.
According to US officials and regional sources cited by Fox News, both the rescued airman and the recovery team have since safely exited Iran.
There was no immediate official update on the WSO’s condition.
Both crew members ejected when their aircraft was struck during a nighttime mission over southwestern Iran. According to Axios and Fox News, they quickly established contact with US forces using emergency communications equipment.
The WSO reportedly used Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training to avoid capture, moving away from the wreckage and taking cover on elevated terrain, where an emergency beacon was activated to guide rescuers.
US officials said Iranian forces, including members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated Basij units, were actively searching for the downed airman. American rescue teams faced attempts to intercept the operation, and US forces engaged to keep Iranian units at bay.
Ground Fighting
Fox News, citing sources briefed on the mission, reported that fighting occurred on the ground during the rescue, though no US personnel were killed. Videos circulating from local witnesses allegedly show casualties among Iranian forces involved in the search effort.
“It was a very complex operation to retrieve the downed service member,” a source familiar with the mission told Fox News, noting that multiple branches of the US military were involved.
The operation included elite rescue personnel such as US Air Force Pararescuemen, supported by layered air and ground assets. Two rescue helicopters were reportedly hit by enemy fire during the mission, with crew members wounded but able to withdraw safely from Iranian territory.
Hours before the rescue was confirmed, Iranian media reported air strikes in southwestern Iran, where the missing crew member was believed to be hiding.
Western officials said Israel delayed planned strikes in the area to avoid disrupting US rescue operations. The New York Times, citing an Israeli official, reported that Israel shared intelligence with US forces.
Iranian authorities were also searching for the crew members and had reportedly offered rewards to civilians who could capture and hand them over.
In a related incident, Fox News confirmed that an A-10 Warthog providing cover for the rescue effort crashed on April 3 in Kuwait. The pilot ejected safely and was recovered.
The downed F-15E was described as largely destroyed on impact.
US officials had warned that the capture of an American crew member by Iranian forces could have sharply escalated tensions and complicated Washington’s broader military objectives in the conflict.
