The United States said Sunday it had successfully rescued a service member who had been missing behind enemy lines in Iran, following the downing of a US fighter jet, in a high-risk operation that underscored the intensifying conflict with Tehran.
The airman was recovered during a search-and-rescue mission launched after an F-15E Strike Eagle crashed on Friday inside Iranian territory, marking a rare and dangerous incident amid the ongoing war.
US President Donald Trump confirmed the rescue, saying the serviceman had been injured but was now in stable condition after being extracted from a remote mountainous area where he had been stranded.
“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,” Trump wrote on social media.
The rescue operation followed an earlier successful extraction of a second crew member, indicating a coordinated effort by US forces to recover personnel from hostile territory.
Iran had earlier escalated tensions by announcing a reward for anyone who would capture or hand over what it described as an “enemy pilot,” raising the stakes for the missing airman’s survival.
The F-15E crash represents the first known loss of a US aircraft inside Iran since the United States and Israel launched their military campaign against the country on February 28.
Since then, the conflict has intensified, resulting in thousands of deaths, major disruptions to global markets, and significant instability in key energy and shipping routes.
The rescue mission itself appears to have been complex and risky, involving multiple aircraft and operations deep inside Iranian territory under threat of interception.
Iranian state television aired footage on Sunday that it claimed showed debris from American aircraft shot down during the conflict, along with images of thick black smoke rising into the sky.
The broadcaster further alleged that Iranian forces had downed a US transport plane and two helicopters involved in the rescue operation.
However, a regional intelligence official familiar with the mission told The Associated Press that two US transport aircraft were destroyed by American forces due to a technical malfunction, prompting the deployment of additional aircraft to complete the rescue.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the operation, suggested that the mission faced significant logistical and operational challenges.
Meanwhile, the broader conflict continues to escalate, with Iran targeting economic and infrastructure sites in neighboring Gulf Arab countries, while maintaining pressure on strategic waterways.
As the situation unfolds, the successful rescue highlights both the capabilities and the risks faced by US forces operating in contested airspace, amid a war that continues to widen in scope and consequences.
