The Media Line: US Rescues 2nd Airman After F-15E Was Downed Over Iran 

US Rescues 2nd Airman After F-15E Was Downed Over Iran 

By The Media Line Staff 

The United States has rescued the second crew member of an F-15E Strike Eagle shot down over Iran, US officials said, ending a dangerous search-and-rescue mission inside hostile territory that unfolded over two days and showed the risks of the widening US-Iran war. President Donald Trump confirmed the recovery Sunday, saying the injured airman was safe after what was described as a complex operation backed by heavy air cover and special operations forces. 

The crew member recovered Sunday was the second person aboard the two-seat aircraft. The first airman was rescued shortly after the jet went down Friday, while the second remained stranded in Iran as US forces raced to find him before Iranian security units could do the same. The airman was ultimately brought out alive. 

President Trump celebrated the mission in a Truth Social post, writing, “WE GOT HIM!” He added: “My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History.” President Trump also said the rescued officer was injured but “will be just fine.” 

The extraction reportedly involved US special operations forces and substantial air support, with Iranian forces also searching for the missing crew member. Iranian officials said several “enemy aircraft” were destroyed during the rescue attempt, though those claims have not been independently verified. 

The episode marks one of the most serious tactical blows for Washington since the conflict escalated, and it punctures earlier talk of uncontested US air superiority over Iran. It also carries political weight: Capturing a US airman alive would have handed Tehran a major propaganda and bargaining victory. Instead, both crew members are now out, and the war has entered a sharper, more perilous phase.