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Late on Saturday night, several news organizations confirmed that the second crew member from the F15E fighter jet had been successfully rescued from behind enemy lines in Iran. Both the rescued crew member and the rescue team have safely exited the country.
In response to the successful rescue operation, President Trump issued a statement:
Here is the president’s complete message:
Meanwhile, Griffin provided additional details on the incident:
MORE: Deadline Looms: Trump Gives Iran 48 Hours to Open the Strait of Hormuz or Prepare for Severe Consequences
Shortly thereafter, President Trump responded:
🚨 BREAKING — PRESIDENT TRUMP RESPONDS TO SUCCESSFUL RESCUE OPERATION OF F-15 WSO
“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… pic.twitter.com/k98aZoyBWP
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) April 5, 2026
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’s full message:
FROM PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
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 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! 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 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. At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine. This miraculous Search and Rescue Operation comes in addition to a successful rescue of another brave Pilot, yesterday, which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation. This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory. WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND! 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. This is a moment that ALL Americans, Republican, Democrat, and everyone else, should be proud of and united around. We truly have the best, most professional, and lethal Military in the History of the World. GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, AND HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!
Griffin, meanwhile, had more on what went down:
The WSO used the SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) training to evade capture, hiding on an elevated ridge after hiking away from the wreckage and putting out an emergency beacon.) US Special Operations rescue forces to include PJs (United States Air Force Pararescuemen (PJs) and many layers of elite rescue forces took part in the complex, layered mission to both find the crew member and also keep the Iranian forces who were hunting the American weapons system operator at bay. There are videos that have appeared from local eyewitnesses that show what appear to have been injured and dead Iranian members of the IRGC and Basij who were looking for the downed American crew member. Fox has learned there was fighting on the ground but no Americans killed during the operation. “It was a very complex operation to retrieve the downed service member,” a well placed source briefed on the operation told me. Many different branches of the US military were involved in the rescue.
MORE: Clock’s Ticking: Trump Warns Iran They’ve Got 48 Hours to Open Hormuz or Face Hell Raining Down
Reports: 1 Crew Member Rescued After Iran Downs US Fighter Jet, Search Continues for Second
The fighting got heavy as both American and Iranian forces desperately searched for the downed pilot:
An American airman who went missing after Iran shot down an F-15 fighter jet has been rescued after a “heavy firefight,” a US government official told Al Jazeera.
Although the weapons officer has been recovered, it is understood the operation is still ongoing and the crew may still be in Iranian territory and in danger.
It comes after reports of air strikes overnight in Dehdasht, near where the aircraft was shot down.
Two crew members had ejected from the plane after Tehran’s forces downed it on Friday, one of whom was located shortly after the crash, but the whereabouts of the second were unknown.
The ensuing manhunt for the missing weapons officer triggered a race between American forces and armed Iranian nomads motivated by a £50,000 bounty offered by the Islamic Republic for the airman’s capture.
They got him.
F-15E weapons officer — 36+ hours behind enemy lines in Iran. Bounty on his head. Armed tribesmen hunting him. IRGC on the ground.
US special forces fought their way into the mountains. Helicopters took MANPADS fire. The A-10 flying cover got shot down.
They kept… pic.twitter.com/6uBT7LNmHW
— IredcapI (@IredcapI) April 4, 2026
They kept going back in.
Both crew home.
This is extremely good news as we head into Easter. God bless our troops.
UPDATE 4/5/26 12:48 a.m.
Adding this tweet because it’s perfect:
I’m speechless. I know our guys are really good, and I was hopeful but this was as high stakes as it gets. This will be military lore for 30+ years. You make movies about this stuff & people won’t believe it.
WSJ & Washington Post also confirming.
Welcome home, friends! https://t.co/CmYLCPThz8
— KC-10 Driver ✈️ 👨✈️ B-737 Wrangler (@MCCCANM) April 5, 2026
Editor’s Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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