US Rescues Second Downed Airman in Daring Iran Mission, Trump Declares

"WE GOT HIM!" Trump posted on Truth Social in the wee hours of Sunday, announcing that the missing airman had been recovered after hours of intensive operations deep inside Iranian territory.

U.S. forces "located and evacuated the missing weapons systems officer who was downed over Iran," Fox News reported, citing senior officials and sources familiar with the mission.

The airman had been unaccounted for since Friday, when an F-15E fighter jet was shot down during a combat mission. Both crew members ejected, with one pilot rescued earlier, triggering a large-scale effort to recover the second officer behind enemy lines.

Trump said the rescued officer had been "behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies," but was "now SAFE and SOUND." He added the airman "sustained injuries, but he will be just fine."

According to US officials cited by multiple media outlets, the operation involved dozens of aircraft and special operations forces navigating hostile terrain. The Washington Post reported the mission was "high risk," with rescue aircraft flying over mountainous areas while Iranian forces and militias moved closer to the crash site.

The Pentagon has not released full operational details. However, officials confirmed that all personnel involved in the rescue are now out of Iranian airspace safely.

In a separate development, two US Special Operations aircraft were destroyed on the ground during the mission after becoming unusable, according to a person familiar with the operation.

The rescue marked the second successful recovery in as many days. Trump said an earlier operation had retrieved another pilot, but the information was not disclosed at the time to avoid jeopardising the ongoing mission.

"This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory," Trump said, adding: "WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND!"

He also claimed the operations demonstrated US "overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies," noting that "we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded."

The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Trump has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that "all hell will rain down" if the demand is not met, according to media reports.

The F-15E Strike Eagle involved in the incident is a two-seat combat aircraft used for air-to-ground and air-to-air missions. Both crew members - a pilot and a weapons systems officer - are trained to operate in high-risk combat environments.

- IANS