US forces successfully rescued a missing F-15 crew member from a remote mountain range in Iran, ending a high-pressure extraction mission that spanned several days. The officer, who had been on the run since his fighter jet was shot down on Friday, was flown to Kuwait for medical treatment.
President Donald Trump confirmed the rescue on social media Sunday. "We have rescued the seriously wounded, and really brave, F-15 Crew Member/Officer, from deep inside the mountains of Iran," Trump wrote.
The airman’s F-15E Strike Eagle was downed over southern Iran, marking the first time a US fighter jet has been shot down by enemy fire in over two decades. While the pilot was recovered shortly after the crash, the weapons systems officer remained missing as Iranian forces reportedly launched a search, offering a bounty for his capture.
US officials stated the officer relied on survival training to evade detection, hiding in a mountain crevice and limiting the use of his beacon to avoid Iranian signals intelligence. The CIA reportedly played a pivotal role by tracking the officer's movements and relaying his location to the Pentagon while simultaneously running a deception campaign to confuse Iranian search efforts.
A complex extraction mission
According to US media reports, the rescue operation required the deployment of dozens of special forces, supported by US warplanes and helicopters. As teams approached the officer's location, they engaged in combat to suppress Iranian units that were closing in on the site.
The mission faced significant logistical hurdles. Reports indicate that two US transport planes intended to extract the rescue teams were unable to depart from a remote base inside Iran. Those aircraft were destroyed to prevent them from falling into hostile hands, forcing the teams to rely on three additional aircraft for their exit.
Iranian officials presented a different account of the operation. State media reported that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) troops foiled the mission near Isfahan and destroyed two US C-130 transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters. The Iranian military also claimed to have shot down a US drone conducting surveillance in the area.
While the BBC has not verified the conflicting claims regarding the destruction of aircraft, satellite imagery confirmed smoldering wreckage in a mountainous region southeast of Isfahan. US authorities have not disclosed the identity of the rescued officer or specific details regarding his condition beyond stating he is expected to recover.
