Seriously wounded US airman rescued from Iran, Trump says

A second U.S. crew member who went missing after an American F-15 fighter jet was shot down in Iran has been rescued, as confirmed by President Donald Trump.

The rescued individual, a “respected colonel,” sustained injuries but is expected to recover. Following the incident on Friday, both the pilot and the crew member ejected from the aircraft; the pilot was quickly recovered.

The search for the missing crew member posed significant risks, including the potential for him to be captured and used for propaganda by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which also initiated its own search efforts.

Initial reports indicated the airman was hiding in the mountainous region of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province after spending over 24 hours alone with a handgun.

The CIA played a pivotal role in locating him by tracking his position and conducting a deception campaign to mislead Iranian forces.

The U.S. rescue operation, described as “huge,” reportedly involved numerous aircraft and was facilitated by tactical intelligence.

It was noted that five Iranians were killed during this operation.

Concurrent with the recovery efforts, regional tensions escalated, with attacks on petrochemical facilities in Abu Dhabi and damage from Iranian drones in Kuwait.

President Trump indicated a possibility of reaching a diplomatic deal with Iran amid this backdrop, despite ongoing threats conveyed over social media regarding military action.