The airman “sustained injuries, but he will be okay,” the president stated, mentioning that the rescue effort included “numerous aircraft.”
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Here’s the most recent.
• US airman saved: A service member who went missing after their F-15 fighter jet was downed over Iran is now “SAFE and SOUND” following a US military rescue mission that included “numerous aircraft,” stated President Donald Trump.
• Warned threats: Iranian military officials have stated that the “gates of hell” will be unleashed on the US and Israel if assaults on infrastructure persist. Trump warned he would unleash “all Hell” if Tehran fails to reach a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Monday.
• Recent assaults: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that Israel
targeted Iran’s petrochemical facilities, while Gulf nations reported several drone interceptions amid attacks on energy installations.
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What is known and unknown regarding the mission to save the American airman.
On April 3, Iranian state media published images of what it asserted to be the debris of a US Air Force fighter jet shot down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The wreckage matches that of a US Air Force F-15. Nour News/Telegram
In a victorious message on Truth Social today, US President Donald Trump declared that the second US service member, whose F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over Iran, has been saved.
The specific facts of the remarkable operation have not been revealed yet. Here’s what we understand at this point — and what remains unclear.
What we understand:
- Both US military personnel from a US F-15 fighter jet that was shot down in Iran on Friday have now been saved. The initial individual was saved soon after the accident and is getting medical care.
- The Colonel, the second service member, “sustained injuries,” Trump stated, but he also mentioned that he will be “just fine.”
- Trump stated that the US rescue mission included multiple aircraft equipped with “the most lethal weapons.” He mentioned that no American soldiers suffered fatalities or injuries in the course of the rescue.
What remains unknown to us:
The specific information regarding the rescue mission and the location of its occurrence. Xenixnews national security analyst Alex Plitsas stated it could be remembered as “one of the most distressing rescue missions in US military history.”
The precise location and identity of the airman. Trump stated that the US military had been tracking his whereabouts around the clock and “carefully preparing for his rescue.”
The nature of the injuries sustained by the second crew member. Ejecting from a military plane exposes aircrew to intense forces and may cause bodily injuries. Former Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath informed Xenixnews that it is “a very violent experience for the body.”
Ways in which the absent US team member avoided being captured. According to Xenixnews chief security analyst Jim Sciutto, the airman reached out to the US military as early as Friday.
If the US lost planes during the operation. In a bid to undermine a victorious moment for Trump, Iran’s state Tasnim News Agency asserted that “multiple enemy American aircraft” were eliminated in the Isfahan area and refuted the operation’s success.
Reporting contributed by Danya Gainor, Jessie Yeung, and Kit Maher from CNN.
Iranian media flat out denies the US rescued missing F-15 crew member
Iranian media explicitly refutes claims that the US saved the missing F-15 crew member.
Iranian state media are working hard to diminish a victorious moment for US President Donald Trump following the rescue of a missing crew member from a crashed fighter jet.
Trump stated late Saturday US time that the airman was rescued after the US military deployed “dozens of aircraft, equipped with the most deadly weapons” to bring him back. “He suffered wounds, but he will be alright,” Trump stated.
As an analyst informed us recently, the rescue stopped the crew member from being a “bargaining chip” for Tehran.
How Tehran is conveying the rescue: However, the Tasnim News Agency reported that “multiple enemy American aircraft in southern Isfahan were eliminated by the warriors of Islam, and the pilot rescue operation was unsuccessful,” referencing Iran’s military command.
“The enemy aircraft attacking southern Isfahan, which included 2 Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 military transport aircraft, were struck and are currently ablaze,” it reported.
Multiple Iranian official sources released footage claiming to depict the charred remains of the plane in a desert location.
Xenixnews cannot confirm its authenticity and has contacted the US military for a response.
“Trump, aiming to mask his significant loss, tweeted asserting a special operation to save the pilot of the downed aircraft in Iran,” Tasnim reported.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a vocal representative of the government during the war, posted one of the images, noting, “if the United States achieves three more victories like this, it will be completely destroyed.”
Israelis filled “with joy” after US service member rescue, finance minister says
By Shirley D. Bowler and Sylvia Chase
Israelis expressed “great joy” following the rescue of a US service member, according to the finance minister.
In the initial remarks from an Israeli official regarding the rescue of the second US airman in Iran, Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich expressed that every Jew and every Israeli feels joy in their hearts this morning.
“Today, every Jew and every Israeli’s heart is filled with happiness following the successful rescue of the two American aircrew members in a courageous operation on Iranian territory,” Smotrich posted on Telegram.
“The valor, bravery, professionalism, and dedication to ensuring every soldier returns home exemplify the common values of the United States and Israel – from Entebbe to Isfahan,” he remarked, citing a 1976 Israeli rescue operation at Entebbe Airport in Uganda.
US President Donald Trump declared in a Truth Social update early Sunday that a US service member, whose fighter jet was downed over Iran, had been saved by US forces.
Another crew member was saved alive soon after the crash and was under medical care, Xenixnews had reported earlier.
The critical search commenced this week following the downing of the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet in the area – marking the first occasion a piloted US aircraft was shot down over Iran during the conflict.
Fires and damage reported in the Gulf states as attacks persist
By Nancy Chen
A view of damage after Kuwait Petroleum Corporation headquarters was hit by Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle attack in Kuwait City, Kuwait on Sunday. Stringer/Anadolu/Getty Images
Fires and destruction noted in the Gulf states as assaults continue.
Damage is seen after the headquarters of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation was struck by an Iranian drone attack in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on Sunday. Stringer/Anadolu/Image by Getty
While the US announced the triumphant rescue of a crew member from a crashed F-15 fighter jet in Iran, Gulf countries persistently reported fires and destruction as they foiled new assaults on Sunday.
If you’re just tuning in, here’s what is occurring in the area:
United Arab Emirates: Several fires ignited at the Borouge petrochemicals facility in Abu Dhabi due to debris from air defense interceptions. The Abu Dhabi Media Office stated in a post on X that there have been no reported injuries and operations at the site have been halted. Previously, the UAE had activated air defenses due to a missile threat, as reported by the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority.
Bahrain: The interior ministry stated in an X post that authorities extinguished a fire at a facility after an Iranian attack, without revealing the location. There were no reported injuries. Energy firm Bapco announced that a fire in a tank at one of its storage sites has been put out, according to Reuters.
Kuwait: According to state media Kuna, the Shuwaikh oil sector complex of the state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation was set ablaze after being struck by drones. A drone also struck two power and water facilities in Kuwait, resulting in the shutdown of two units. State media reported that a government ministries office complex was also damaged.
Saudi Arabia: The defense ministry announced on X that authorities have intercepted a cruise missile in recent hours.
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