US forces carried out a high-risk rescue operation inside Iran after a downed fighter jet left an airman stranded behind enemy lines, according to officials and media reports.
The rescued crew member was the weapons systems officer of an F-15 aircraft that Iran claimed was shot down by its air defenses. A US official said he was the second of two crew members involved, after the first was recovered earlier.
President Donald Trump described the mission as one of the most daring rescue operations in US military history, stating that the injured airman was extracted safely from mountainous terrain in Iran and would recover.
According to officials cited in reports, special operations forces located and evacuated the airman after an extended search effort in hostile conditions. The mission reportedly involved multiple aircraft and coordinated military support, with US forces also taking action to protect the extraction route.
Some equipment used during the operation was reportedly destroyed after suffering technical failure to prevent it from being captured. The rescue faced resistance in the region, with claims of hostile engagement during the broader effort.
Iranian authorities disputed the US account, stating that the operation was detected and disrupted and that several US aircraft were destroyed during the mission near an abandoned airfield in southern Iran.
US officials also confirmed that another pilot from the same aircraft had already been rescued separately, with both recoveries completed without US fatalities.
The conflict has now entered its sixth week, with rising tensions across the region and continued strikes impacting military and energy infrastructure. Trump has indicated the possibility of further escalation as the situation develops.
