Two U.S. officials confirmed late Saturday that the second crew member of a two-seat fighter jet that crashed over Iran on Friday was safely rescued by U.S. forces.
President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that two military officers missing in Iran have been rescued, saying the rescue mission included “dozens of aircraft” and that the officer “sustained injuries, but he will be just fine.”
“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, but was never truly alone,” Trump continued.
One crew member of the F-15E was rescued when the plane went down, two U.S. officials confirmed to FWRD AXIS News. The second crew member was declared “DUSTWUN”, a military designation meaning “Duty Status-Whereabouts Unknown.”
The F-15E strike occurred amidst intense criticism of the war from the president and his administration. On Saturday, Trump hailed the rescue as a significant victory in the ongoing effort.
“The United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History,” he said.
The president acknowledged the diligence of his military leaders and announced that he had ordered “dozens” of aircraft equipped with lethal weapons to join the search operation.
“The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies,” the president said.
Iran’s media published photographs alongside claims from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that they had successfully shot down an F-15E fighter jet. Nour News, a news outlet affiliated with the IRGC, reported that the jet was destroyed in the skies over central Iran by a newly developed advanced air defense system operated by the IRGC Aerospace Force.
