U.S. rescues second F-15 airman in Iran operation

U.S. special forces rescued a second crew member from a downed F-15 in Iran, President Donald Trump said early Sunday, after an operation that U.S., Israeli, and Iranian officials gave differing accounts of.

Trump said in a social media post that the weapons officer, whose aircraft was shot down Friday, was wounded but “will be just fine.”

A U.S. official said the rescue in a mountainous area of Iran involved dozens of military aircraft and encountered resistance from Iranian forces. Israel said it assisted.

Iran’s military said several U.S. aircraft were destroyed during the operation, including two military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters.

A U.S. official told Reuters that U.S. forces destroyed at least one aircraft used in the mission after it malfunctioned. The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. forces blew up two malfunctioning MC-130J aircraft.

A senior administration official said the rescue also involved a Central Intelligence Agency deception campaign that spread word inside Iran that U.S. forces had already found the missing airman and were moving him for exfiltration. The official said the weapons officer was later found in a mountain crevice and rescued.

The rescue came as the war entered its sixth week and diplomatic efforts showed little progress. On Saturday, Trump renewed a threat to intensify attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure, saying Iran had 48 hours to reopen shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. In a Sunday social media post, he wrote that Iran must open the Strait “or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!”

A senior Israeli defense official said Israel was preparing possible strikes on Iranian energy facilities within a week, pending approval from Washington.

Iran did not signal it would comply with Trump’s demand. It continued missile and drone attacks on Israel and launched drone strikes Sunday on petrochemical plants in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. The Revolutionary Guards said more attacks would follow if civilian targets in Iran were hit.

Pakistan-led efforts to broker an agreement have not produced a breakthrough. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran wanted a permanent halt to the U.S. and Israeli campaign launched Feb. 28, writing on X: “What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us.”

A retired U.S. Air Force pilot said there was relief after one crew member was rescued from a downed U.S. jet, but the search for the remaining crew member remained difficult.

Mark Hasara, a retired lieutenant colonel who flew KC-135 aircraft and served as chief operating officer for refueling operations in the Middle East from 2002 to 2003, said the military follows a clear standard when a service member goes down.

“We will not leave anyone behind,” Hasara said. “That is kind of the contract that we have across the military. It doesn’t matter what service you are from, we are going to come get you and bring you home.”

Hasara said once a crew was down, available forces shifted to the rescue mission.

“And as soon as this emergency beeper goes off, all of their systems lock onto it because of the frequency it’s on,” Hasara said.

After ejecting, crew members were trained to take immediate survival steps and avoid detection, he said.

“They know immediately to gather up their parachute, hide, and get in some type of hiding location that they can communicate with the forces above them that are trying to find them,” he said.

Hasara said rescue teams were trained for such operations.

“The rescue forces that are trying to find them are also extremely well trained,” he said.

He said the missions also involved challenges including terrain, weather, and hostile or contested conditions.