Photo: ILIA YEFIMOVICH / AFP / Getty Images
A U.S. government official has confirmed that the second crew member from an American F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet — shot down by Iranian forces on Friday — has been rescued following a “heavy firefight.”
The weapons systems officer was recovered during an intense combat search-and-rescue operation, though the mission remains ongoing while the team is still operating inside Iranian territory.
Details on the condition of the rescued crew member has not been released.
In a social media post, President Trump called the mission “one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History.” He said the military has been monitoring the officer’s location since he ejected and had deployed dozens of heavily armed aircraft to retrieve him.
Trump added that the officer sustained injuries but in his words, “will be just fine.”