U.S. forces have successfully rescued a second U.S. airman whose F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over Iran.
“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, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND!”
The president said dozens of U.S. aircraft supported the search and rescue mission, which had been ongoing since the two-seat fighter jet was shot down on April 3.
Trump confirmed the other airman was successfully recovered at an earlier point, “which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation.”
As the second rescue effort stretched onward, Trump said the downed airman evaded capture in the mountains of Iran, while Iranian forces drew nearer with each passing hour.
Despite being on the run behind enemy lines, Trump said the downed airman “was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue.”
Trump said the second downed airman had sustained unspecified injuries but would be “just fine.”
Furthermore, Trump said U.S. forces were able to conduct both rescue operations without a single American being wounded or killed, a point he said proves “we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies.”
The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, had not responded to requests for comment as reports first broke on April 3 that the F-15E had been shot down.
The president was similarly tight-lipped as the search and rescue operation played out. He declined to talk about the matter during an interview with NBC News on Friday but told the outlet the incident would not impact efforts to negotiate with Tehran, saying, “It’s war. We’re in war.”
Several additional U.S. aircraft may have been damaged during the high-risk effort to recover the two airmen.
U.S. defense officials have confirmed several unmanned MQ-9 Reaper drones have also been shot down over the course of the conflict.
The U.S. Central Command has confirmed that 13 U.S. military personnel have been killed and more than 300 injured since Trump first ordered U.S. forces to commence attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.
