US special forces have rescued the second crew member of a downed F-15E fighter jet from a mountain hideout in south-west Iran, ending a two-day search. The weapons systems officer, a colonel, was wounded but successfully extracted overnight, President Donald Trump announced in a social media post.
Trump described the operation as “one of most daring search-and-rescue operations in US history” and claimed no American casualties. He threatened to bomb Iranian power plants and bridges if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz to merchant shipping, writing: “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell.”
The colonel was located after climbing a 7,000ft ridge and was rescued by a 200-strong team under heavy covering fire. Iran said three Revolutionary Guards were killed. Tehran also claimed to have destroyed four US aircraft involved in the search, including two Hercules transport planes that became bogged down, two Black Hawk helicopters, and two drones.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked the cost of lost US equipment, posting a photo of wreckage. The pilot of the F-15E had been rescued on Friday after spending seven hours on the ground. The CIA reportedly launched a disinformation campaign to mislead Iranian forces during the search.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump, drawing parallels to Israel’s own daring rescue operations. Footage emerged of night-time clashes in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, near the city of Dehdasht, where searches had taken place.
