President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States successfully recovered a colonel who had been stranded in Iran after his F‑15 fighter jet was downed over the southern province on Friday. The mission, described by the U.S. military as one of the most daring combat search and rescue (CSAR) operations in its history, was executed without any American casualties.
Two crew members ejected when the aircraft was shot down, allegedly by Iranian air‑defence forces. While the pilot was rescued earlier in a separate operation involving an A‑10 Warthog, the colonel’s extraction required a coordinated effort with helicopters and support aircraft flying low over hostile territory.
Reports indicate the operation faced resistance: a U.S. drone was reportedly shot down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the search, and one helicopter carrying the rescued pilot was hit by small‑arms fire, though it landed safely. Iranian state media also claimed that local nomadic tribes shot down Black Hawk helicopters involved in the mission.
Trump emphasized that the airman’s location was monitored 24 hours a day by senior officials, and that the mission proceeded without any U.S. personnel wounded. The rescue underscores the United States’ readiness to conduct complex CSAR missions in hostile environments.
Source: www.bbc.com
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