US President announced on Sunday that an Air Force officer, whose fighter jet had been downed in Iran, was rescued in a daring nighttime operation. While Trump claimed that the officer was not critically injured, Washington did have to pay a price as the US forces reportedly destroyed some of their own aircraft during the withdrawal to prevent them from falling into enemy hands.
The Wall Street Journal, citing a source, said the aircraft involved were MC-130J planes, which are designed for covert missions such as inserting and extracting troops in hostile or enemy-controlled areas. The official did not provide details on how the planes became immobilized during the mission, but noted that they ultimately had to be destroyed.
Trump on rescuing Air Force officer
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the 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! This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies.”
Trump said that the officer sustained injuries but will be just fine. He added, “This miraculous Search and Rescue Operation comes in addition to a successful rescue of another brave Pilot, yesterday, which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation. This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory.”
US Air Force officer rescued
According to The Washington Post, the intensive search-and-rescue mission began on Friday (local time) after the aircraft, an F-15E jet, crashed and both crew members ejected. The pilot was located and recovered quickly, but efforts then expanded into a large-scale operation to find the weapons officer. According to Trump, the mission involved dozens of aircraft, Special Operations forces, and other highly trained personnel equipped to carry out rescues in high-risk environments.
The report suggested that the mission was highly dangerous, with US C-130s and rescue helicopters flying low and slow over Tehran’s mountainous terrain to locate the missing airman. As the search was underway, Iranian television released a statement that offered a reward for the recovery of the missing American crew members. Another broadcast called on Iranians to “target” any Americans found. However, IRIB, Iran’s state broadcaster, later stated on social media that many people had reached the crash site and that the military had instructed civilians not to harm the pilot.
The incident was the first confirmed case of a US crewed aircraft being shot down inside hostile territory since the conflict began in late February.
Iran mocks Washington
Hours after Trump made the announcement, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked Washington in a post on X. He shared the ruins of the US warplane and wrote, “If the United States gets three more victories like this, it will be utterly ruined.”
Iran claims significant US losses
According to media reports, Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps () said the Islamic Republic has destroyed several US aircraft during its rescue operations.
“During a joint operation (Aerospace, Ground Force, Popular Units, Basij and Police command), enemy aircraft were destroyed,” the IRGC said, after Iran’s police command announced that an American C-130 transport plane had been downed in southern Isfahan.
