US rescues second downed crewman from Iranian territory in complex operation involving multiple aircraft

The U.S. military has rescued the second airman from the downed fighter jet in Iran, President Donald Trump announced early Sunday morning. 

“WE GOT HIM!” President Trump announced in a post to Truth Social on Sunday morning.

“My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers," Trump continued, noting that the airman, a Colonel who was the weapons officer, was returned “SAFE and SOUND!” 

Following the downing of the F-15E fighter jet on Friday, an intense hunt was carried out by U.S. forces to locate the two crew members before they could be captured by Iranian forces, who were also attempting to locate them. 

The pilot of the fighter jet was rescued later the same day, but the weapons officer spent two days in mountainous terrain in western Iran before being rescued. Two helicopters involved in the rescue of the pilot were hit by Iranian fire during the rescue attempt, but were able to return to U.S. bases in the region. 

“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,” President Trump wrote. 

The extensive effort to rescue the downed officer involved U.S. C-130s and rescue helicopters making low pass flights over the hostile, mountainous terrain to locate the downed airman. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, American MQ-9 Reaper drones shot at any Iranian forces attempting to reach the crewman. 

At the same time, Iranian state television broadcast messages offering a reward for the recovery of either of the U.S. crew members. 

According to a report in the New York Times, two of the C-130 planes sent to locate and retrieve the weapons officer were damaged after a firefight broke out between U.S. and Iranian forces. The two aircraft were destroyed by the U.S. military to prevent their use by Iranians. 

The operation to extract the crewman involved hundreds of special operations forces, along with rescue aircraft and helicopter teams. Three additional transport planes were deployed to a forward airbase inside Iran to evacuate the weapons officer and the crews of the two earlier transport aircraft.

Reported images of the forward airbase in Iran used by US forces to successfully rescue the downed US F-15 WSO.

A pair of C-130s were destroyed before final departure after they became stuck. pic.twitter.com/AtSeUBM9pd

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 5, 2026

“At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him,” President Trump said. “He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine.” 

“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. WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND!” President Trump said in his Truth Social post, saying the operation was proof that the U.S. has achieved air superiority over Iran. 

According to reports on social media accounts, some Iranian resistance groups attempted to aid the U.S. by flooding nearby local roads with vehicles, thereby inhibiting the ability of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces from reaching the area in time. 

U.S. special forces and search-and-rescue teams launched a nighttime raid in the Rig Mountains region of Iran's southwestern Khuzestan Province, rescuing a weapons pilot in hiding there, and clashed with the local garrison of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

It appears… pic.twitter.com/y0989y0FXR

— Jammles (@jammles9) April 5, 2026

The operation to rescue the downed pilots in Iran brought up memories of the failed Operation Eagle Claw in 1980, when U.S. special forces attempted to rescue the staff of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, who had been taken captive during the Iranian Revolution. 

That operation ended with eight U.S. servicemen killed, two aircraft destroyed, and none of the 66 hostages rescued. 

Trump concluded his post with an Easter blessing, writing, “GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, AND HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!”