IRIA News

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The U.S. special operations forces have rescued a second airman from a mountainous region in Iran after his F-15 fighter jet was shot down over Iran, officials said. This marks the end of a high-stakes recovery mission as the war entered its sixth week.

“WE GOT HIM!” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote in a triumphant post on Truth Social this morning. He described the mission as “one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History.”

He added that the airman, described as a colonel and weapons systems officer, “sustained injuries, but he will be just fine,” and said the mission involved “dozens of aircraft.”

The rescue was the second involving crew members from the F-15E Strike Eagle shot down over Iran. A pilot from the same aircraft was recovered earlier and is receiving medical treatment, according to U.S. officials.

🚨“WE GOT HIM! 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 Office Members, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I… pic.twitter.com/FNPWV6MPvA

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 5, 2026

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president had been closely briefed as the operation unfolded, describing the effort as a “complex and high-risk mission carried out with precision under extreme conditions.”

Details of High-Risk Mission and Race to Rescue American Pilot

The search began Friday after Iran shot down the U.S. fighter jet during what officials described as a tactical bombing mission that went wrong. Iran also mobilized its own effort to locate the missing airman, raising fears he could be captured.

U.S. forces tracked his position for hours before launching the recovery mission into mountainous terrain in southwestern Iran.

A U.S. official and a White House official said the complex operation involved dozens of special operations forces and several warplanes and helicopters.

To secure the extraction zone, U.S. forces used bombs and weapons fire to hold back approaching Iranian troops while the airman, armed only with a handgun, remained in hiding.

A senior administration official told NBC News the mission was aided by a deception effort led by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which spread false signals inside Iran suggesting the airman had already been located. Afterwards, the CIA “used its unique, exquisite capabilities to search for – and find – the American,” the official said, describing the effort as “the ultimate ‘needle in a haystack.’”

The CIA then relayed the location to the Pentagon and the White House, prompting an immediate rescue with real-time intelligence support continuing throughout. The rescued officer was flown to Kuwait for medical treatment, officials said.

CNN’s national security analyst Alex Plitsas described it as “one of the most harrowing rescue operations in U.S. military history for operating behind enemy lines to get to a U.S. aviator who was down on the ground.” He added that the successful extraction likely prevented Iran from using the airman as a “strategic bargaining chip.”

Trump said no U.S. personnel were killed or wounded during the operation, calling it proof that the U.S. has achieved “overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies.”

However, analysts note that the shootdown itself underscores ongoing risks to U.S. aircraft and growing complexity and unpredictability of the war.

Reports of Deaths During Rescue Mission

Iranian media reported that at least five people were killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes in the mountainous Kohgiluyeh region during the rescue effort.

Local officials said the deaths occurred in what was described as the “Black Mountain” area. The reports could not be independently verified, and U.S. officials have not commented on the claim.

According to Iranian state media, the country’s military forces intercepted and repelled the rescue attempt near Isfahan, destroying multiple U.S. aircraft.

Iranian officials claimed that two Black Hawk helicopters and two C-130 military transport aircraft were hit during the operation, accusing the U.S. of attempting to conceal the losses.

The Iranian Army and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in separate statements that Iran also downed a U.S. MQ-9 drone and an Israeli Hermes-900 drone in Isfahan province.

Israeli Strikes Intensify

Separately, the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday it had struck more than 120 targets across Iran in the past 24 hours. The targets included drone production and launch sites, ballistic missile systems, and air defense infrastructure in central and western parts of the country, according to the military.

The strikes are part of a broader U.S.-Israel war against Iran that began on February 28, 2026, and has expanded across multiple fronts.

Amid the military maneuvers, the human toll continues to rise. More than 1,900 people have ​been killed and ‌at least 20,000 injured in Iran ​since the ​start of U.S. and ⁠Israeli attacks, according to ​the International Federation of Red Cross and ​Red Crescent ​Societies (IFRC).

Across the wider region, including Israel, Lebanon, and the occupied Palestinian territories, hundreds more have been killed, and many more displaced.

Drone Attacks Hit Gulf Energy Sites

Iran has continued to respond with drone attacks targeting energy infrastructure across the Gulf region. In Kuwait, officials said strikes damaged two power plants and disrupted operations at a water desalination facility.

In Bahrain, a drone attack caused a fire at a storage site operated by the national oil company, which was later extinguished.

In the United Arab Emirates, authorities reported multiple fires at a major petrochemical facility in Ruwais following what they said was falling debris from intercepted aerial threats. Production at the site has been halted.

No injuries were immediately reported in the Gulf incidents, but the attacks have raised concerns about the vulnerability of critical energy infrastructure.

US Aircraft Losses during Operation Epic Fury

The downing of the F-15 and a separate A-10 incident bring the number of known U.S. aircraft losses in the conflict to at least seven.

Confirmed incidents include:

• March 2: Three F-15 aircraft were downed in a friendly fire incident over Kuwait. All 6 crew members ejected safely.
• March 12: A KC-135 refueling tanker crashed in Iraq, killing six crew members. U.S. military said the aircraft was not downed by hostile or friendly fire but involved in an incident with another aircraft.
• March 19: A U.S. F-35 fighter jet was damaged and forced to make an emergency landing after being struck by suspected Iranian fire.
• March 27: An E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft was destroyed on the ground during an Iranian strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. At least 10 U.S. personnel were injured.
• April 3: One F-15 and one A-10 were lost in separate incidents linked to combat operations. Two U.S. military helicopters, including UH-60 Black Hawk, were hit by Iranian fire during a search-and-rescue mission for the crew of the downed F-15 jet.
  
  

Six weeks into the conflict, the numbers are mounting. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says 13 American service members have been killed and more than 300 wounded since the conflict began.

Trump Threatens Iran with “Hell” if Strait of Hormuz isn’t Opened in 48 Hours

At the center of the current escalation lies a narrow stretch of water, the Strait of Hormuz – one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints, carrying about one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies.

Trump renewed his warning to Iran on Saturday, saying it must reopen the strait or face severe consequences. “Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them,” he wrote.

Trump has threatened to hit Iranian power plants if his demands are not met, indicating his deadline for Tehran to reach a deal to end the war was around 10 a.m. ET on Monday.

Iranian officials have responded with threats of their own, including warnings about potential disruptions to regional shipping routes.

Diplomatic efforts led by regional actors, including Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, are ongoing but have yet to produce a breakthrough.

Responding to the latest U.S. threats, Mohamed El-Baradei, an 83-year-old former Egyptian vice president who led the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1997 to 2009 during the early years of scrutiny over Iran’s nuclear program, urged Gulf nations to act to prevent further escalation.

El-Baradei called for urgent international intervention, cautioning against the region being turned into “a ball of fire.”