Missing U.S. crew member from downed fighter jet rescued in Iran, Trump says

April 5, 2026

TL;DR

A U.S. crew member from a downed F-15E fighter jet in Iran has been rescued by U.S. forces.
The pilot of the jet was rescued on Friday, with the second crew member found early Sunday.
President Trump described the operation as one of the most daring in U.S. history, involving dozens of aircraft and special forces.
The CIA played a role in the rescue, conducting a deception campaign and tracking the crew member's location.
During recovery efforts, a U.S. chopper was struck by small arms fire, and an A-10 Warthog was damaged.
Two transport planes were demolished to prevent capture, with commandos extracting via other aircraft.
The rescued officer was flown to Kuwait for treatment.
This is the first time a U.S. fighter jet has been shot down in combat in over 20 years.

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