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Summary

The rescue operation took place amid a race against time between US and Iranian forces that lasted two days to reach the injured pilot, according to officials. In the end, US commando forces were able to recover him in a large-scale operation involving hundreds of special forces personnel.

The US Army rescued its second pilot who had been missing since Friday in Iran, according to President Donald Trump, as the war in Iran entered its sixth week. The aircraft, an F-15E fighter-bomber, crashed in southwestern Iran, and both pilots successfully ejected.

In detail, US special forces rescued the weapons systems officer of the F-15 that crashed in Iran, with the participation of hundreds of special forces personnel and dozens of fighter jets and warplanes.

Officials told The New York Times that commando units penetrated deep into Iranian territory during a frantic search operation to rescue the injured pilot before Iranian forces reached him.

One official explained that the officer was injured after ejecting two days ago, but remained mobile and managed to avoid capture in the mountains for over a day. Fox News reported that he hid on a high hill to evade Iranian forces.

Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday: "In the past hours, the US military carried out one of the most daring search and rescue operations in US history to help one of our amazing crew members, a highly respected colonel. I am pleased to announce that he is now safe and sound."

He added that the pilot was injured and that the rescue operation involved "dozens of aircraft." He said, "This is the first time that two American pilots have been rescued in two separate operations, in the heart of enemy territory."

An Israeli security official said that Israel provided intelligence information to the United States to assist in the pilot rescue operation and that it suspended its attacks in the area where the operation took place to facilitate execution.

Iran had announced that its forces shot down the aircraft and offered a reward for anyone who helped capture the second pilot, after a US special forces unit succeeded in rescuing the first and extracting him from Iran.

Urgent Search Operation

The crew of the F-15E Strike Eagle, the first aircraft lost to Iranian fire during the war, ejected from the cockpit on Friday after the plane was hit. The first pilot was quickly rescued, while the weapons systems officer could not be found, prompting an urgent search operation.

The rescue operation took place amid a two-day race against time between US and Iranian forces to reach the injured pilot, according to officials. In the end, US commando forces recovered him in a large-scale operation involving hundreds of special forces personnel.

The New York Times reported that the missing Air Force officer was hiding with only a pistol for self-defense, noting that hundreds of special operations forces participated in the rescue mission along with dozens of US warplanes and helicopters, in addition to cyber, space, and other intelligence capabilities.

Two American officials told Axios that Iran's Revolutionary Guards sent personnel to the area to try to thwart the rescue operation. US Air Force aircraft carried out strikes against Iranian forces to prevent them from reaching the officer's location.

US attack aircraft dropped bombs and opened fire on Iranian forces to push them away from the area where the pilot was hiding. As US forces approached his location, clashes erupted with Iranian forces.

The pilot was equipped with a locator beacon and a secure communication device to coordinate with the forces conducting the rescue. A senior US military official described the mission as among the most complex and challenging in the history of US special operations.

A senior Trump administration official told Axios that before locating the weapons systems officer and executing the rescue, the CIA launched a "deception operation" by spreading rumors inside Iran that US forces had already found the officer and were moving him from place to place within the country in preparation for his extraction.

The official added that the Iranians, amid this confusion and uncertainty, "allowed the CIA to use its capabilities to search for the officer and determine his location."

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The official noted that the CIA immediately relayed his exact location to the Department of Defense, the US military, and the White House.

The official explained that President Donald Trump issued an order to carry out an immediate rescue operation, led by the Pentagon, while the CIA continued to provide real-time intelligence to support the mission.

How Did the Pilot Hide?

Fox News reported that the missing pilot managed to evade capture by Iranian forces by hiding on a high hill.

It quoted US officials saying that the second pilot walked away from the crash site, hid on a high hill, and sent a distress signal.

It added that US special operations forces, including Air Force pararescue elements, participated in the mission, alongside multiple layers of elite units, in a complex, multi-tiered operation.

Officials said that after rescuing the weapons officer, two transport aircraft that were to carry the commandos and troops broke down.

The US Army decided to send three new aircraft to evacuate all US military personnel, and the two disabled aircraft were destroyed to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands.

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