US Special Forces Rescue in Iran: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the American Air Force officer who had gone missing in Iran is now safe after a rescue mission by the US military. The officer was one of two crew members in an F-15E Strike Eagle that went down on Friday. After the jet was hit, both men got out of the aircraft. One crew member was rescued earlier, but the second man could not be found right away. Trump later confirmed the missing officer had been brought out.
This rescue became a huge priority for the US military. Reports said the missing airman was hurt and hiding in rough mountain land while Iranian forces searched for him. The New York Times said the race to reach him turned into a “a life-or-death race” over two days. Trump called the officer a “brave warrior” and said he was hiding in Iran’s “treacherous mountains,” while Iranian forces were trying to find him. Trump also said the airman “will be just fine”.
Big Rescue Mission Inside Iran
The mission to save the missing officer was large and dangerous. Special operations forces went deep into Iranian territory to bring him back, New York Times reported. News reports said many aircraft, helicopters, and intelligence systems were used during the rescue effort. Trump said the troops had “the most lethal weapons in the World,” and said top US leaders were watching the operation very closely.
He wrote that the 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.”
US forces were also able to stay in touch with the officer by using a “secure communication device”. That helped them track where he was and plan the rescue. Reports said fighting broke out as American troops got closer to him. Two US Black Hawk helicopters came under fire but made it out of Iranian airspace. It also said a separate US A-10 aircraft was later lost over Kuwait, though the pilot escaped. Iran said it destroyed several aircraft during the rescue mission.
Two Rescues
Trump said this mission happened alongside another rescue operation for the jet’s pilot. He said, “we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation”. He then called it the first time in recent military memory that “two US Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory.”
There were more problems even after the officer was found. Reports said two US transport planes that were supposed to carry troops and rescued airmen away got stuck at a remote base in Iran. Because of that, commanders had to bring in three more aircraft to pull everyone out.
According to the account in the report you shared, the disabled planes were then destroyed so they would not stay behind on Iranian ground. Reuters also reported that US officials said some aircraft losses in the operation were linked to technical problems, while Iran said its forces had shot them down.
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Trump Praises the Mission
After the rescue, Trump strongly praised the operation. He said, “The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies.”
He also said, “This is a moment that ALL Americans, Republican, Democrat, and everyone else, should be proud of and united around. We truly have the best, most professional, and lethal Military in the History of the World. GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, AND HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!”
In an earlier national address about the war, Trump had also claimed the US military had won major victories. He said American forces had delivered “swift, decisive and overwhelming victories” and said Iran’s navy and air force had been “decimated” and were now “in ruins”.
He added, “Their ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed, and their weapons factories and rocket launchers are being blown to pieces, with very few left. Never in the history of warfare has an enemy suffered such clear and devastating large-scale losses in a matter of weeks,” he had said.
