Former President Donald Trump has lauded the bravery of a US Air Force colonel who was rescued from a mountain in Iran following the downing of his F-15E Strike Eagle on Friday.
The plane, shot down by Iran near Isfahan province, was the first US aircraft to be downed since the conflict began in late February. While one pilot was quickly recovered, the second, a weapons systems officer, was trapped and had to climb to higher ground to avoid capture.
Trump claimed the airman contacted US forces using a specialized beacon device after spraining his ankle and hiding in a mountain crevice. The operation involved over 150 aircraft including fighters, tankers, and rescue planes.
A senior administration official revealed that the CIA conducted a disinformation campaign to mislead Tehran, while US forces jammed communications and bombed key roads. Special ops teams used smaller turboprops to land in remote airstrips and extract the pilot.
Trump described the mission as "historic" and said hundreds of US personnel participated to prevent Iran from capturing the airman. Two Black Hawk helicopters were hit during the search, and several US aircraft were destroyed in Iran, though no US troops were taken prisoner.
Iran claimed two US planes were destroyed and said a second F-15 crashed. However, the US military has not confirmed the status of the second aircraft or its crew.
Trump emphasized that the operation succeeded without casualties and affirmed the US would never leave a warrior behind.