‘WE GOT HIM!’: Trump Says US Forces Rescue 2nd Airman Downed in Iran

U.S. forces have successfully rescued a second U.S. airman whose F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over Iran.

“WE GOT HIM!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post early Sunday morning.

“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 said the type of rescue of the colonel is seldom attempted because of the danger to “man and equipment.”

The president said dozens of U.S. aircraft supported the search and rescue mission, which had been ongoing since the two-seat fighter jet was shot down on April 2.

Trump said, “The rescue was an Easter Miracle” in a text message posted by Kristen Welker, moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press.

“The rescuers were brilliant, strong, decisive, and as cool as anyone can be. The Iranians thought they had him, but it wasn’t even close, and remember, we got two, but couldn’t talk about the first in that it would have highlighted that there was a second,” he said.

“Such a rescue has never happened before in so violent an enemy territory,” he added.

Trump confirmed the other airman was successfully recovered at an earlier point, “which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation.”

As the second rescue effort stretched onward, Trump said the downed airman evaded capture in the mountains of Iran, while Iranian forces drew nearer with each passing hour.

Trump added that the airman was rescued “in broad daylight” after U.S. forces spent seven hours over Iran.

Despite being on the run behind enemy lines, Trump said the downed airman “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.”

Trump said the second downed airman had sustained unspecified injuries but would be “just fine.”

Furthermore, Trump said U.S. forces were able to conduct both rescue operations without a single American being wounded or killed, a point he said proves “we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies.”

Trump said he would hold a press conference at 1 p.m. Monday to give more details on the rescue operations.

Senior Israeli officials confirmed to Epoch Magazine Israel that Israel assisted in the operation to rescue the American pilot from Iran.

According to the officials, intelligence assistance was provided, and a ring of fire was established in the area in order to assist the American forces.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump in a post on X.

“All Israelis rejoice in this remarkable operation. It proves that when free societies act with courage and determination, they can overcome the forces of darkness and terror,” Netanyahu wrote on X. “This operation reinforces a sacred principle: no one is left behind.”

“As someone who was wounded in such a mission and lost my brother in the Entebbe rescue, I know what a bold decision this was,” he added. “Once again your leadership brought a great victory to America. I salute you. We all do.”

The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, had not responded to requests for comment as reports first broke that the F-15E had been shot down.

The president was similarly tight-lipped as the search and rescue operation played out. He declined to talk about the matter during an interview with NBC News on Friday but told the outlet the incident would not impact efforts to negotiate with Tehran, saying, “It’s war. We’re in war.”

Several additional U.S. aircraft may have been damaged during the high-risk effort to recover the two airmen.

Iranian state media reported Iranian forces struck a U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II, shortly after the F-15E was downed. The White House and Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment on the reports.

Three other U.S. F-15Es were shot down over Kuwaiti airspace in the opening days of the Iran conflict, in what appears to have been a friendly fire incident. All six U.S. pilots in that incident were able to eject to safety.

Six airmen aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft were killed when their aircraft crashed over Iraq on March 12.

An Air Force F-35A Lighting II stealth fighter was damaged during combat operations over Iran on March 19 but was able to safely land.

U.S. defense officials have confirmed several unmanned MQ-9 Reaper drones have also been shot down over the course of the conflict.

The U.S. Central Command has confirmed that 13 U.S. military personnel have been killed and more than 300 injured since Trump first ordered U.S. forces to commence attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the date the F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over Iran. The Epoch Times regrets the error.