U.S. rescues second airman from behind enemy lines in Iran, President Trump says

The U.S. mounted a daring rescue mission and retrieved an American pilot behind enemy lines in Iran, President Trump said early Sunday, capping a tense two days after the airman’s F-15 fighter jet was downed late last week.

The successful rescue means that both crew members of the F-15 Strike Eagle, believed to have been brought down by Iranian air defenses, have been found.

Specific details on the mission are murky. There was no immediate comment from U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East.

In a lengthy Truth Social post, Mr. Trump said the U.S. had been monitoring the pilot’s location.

“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue,” the president posted. “At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him.”

The airman sustained injuries but is expected to recover, Mr. Trump said. The aircraft’s other crew member was rescued Friday.

The downing of the F-15 over Iran marked the first time a U.S. aircraft was shot down over enemy territory since the early days of the Iraq war in 2003.

Iran state-run media shared photos of what they claimed to be pieces the downed jet. Some military analysts said those pieces seem to indicate the plane is a F-15E Strike Eagle with the Air Force’s 494th Fighter Squadron, based at Britain’s RAF Lakenheath base.

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The downing of the plane could have been a major turning point in the conflict in the U.S.-Iran war, now in its second month. A search-and-rescue operation in Iran could have led to significant U.S. casualties, while the capture of an American service member by the Iranian government would have immediately changed dynamics both on the ground in the Mideast and in Washington.

Instead, Mr. Trump said no U.S. personnel were killed or wounded in the rescue operation.

Separately last Friday, a U.S. A-10 Warthog attack plane was reportedly downed near the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran. Its lone pilot survived, and American forces rescued him.

• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.