The navigator from the American F-15E fighter jet that was shot down in Iran was safely rescued this morning (Sunday) by the US military - after a heavy exchange of fire.
This is an operation by American commandos who operated on Iranian soil to rescue the navigator.
The New York Times reported that hundreds of commandos participated in the operation to rescue the pilot whose plane was downed. A senior US military official described the operation as "one of the most complex and challenging in the history of special operations.".
It was also reported that during the operation, the US dropped bombs and opened fire on Iranian convoys to keep them away from the area where the navigator was.
President Donald Trump confirmed the reports, tweeting on TRUTH: "We have him! Over the past few hours, the United States Military conducted one of the most daring search and rescue operations in United States history for one of our incredible airmen, who is also a highly respected Colonel, and I am happy to report that he is now safe and sound.".
""This brave warrior was behind enemy lines, in the dangerous mountains of Iran, while our enemies pursued him and drew closer and closer to him every hour, but he was never truly alone, because his commander-in-chief, the Minister of War, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his fellow fighters monitored his location 24 hours a day and meticulously planned his rescue.".
"At my direction," the president wrote, "the United States military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the world’s most lethal weapons, to rescue him. He was injured, but he will be just fine.
""This miraculous search and rescue operation also joins the successful rescue of another brave pilot yesterday, which we did not confirm, as we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation.".
""This is the first time in military history that two American pilots have been rescued separately, deep in enemy territory. We will never leave an American fighter behind. The fact that we were able to carry out these two operations without even one American being killed, or even injured, proves once again that we have achieved absolute air superiority and control over the skies of Iran.".
The deception of the Iranians
A senior American official told Fox News that even before the crew member was located, the CIA launched a deception and deception operation and spread information in Iran that American forces had already found him and were transporting him on the ground for rescue outside the country.
According to the report, the operation created "confusion" in Iran and allowed the US military additional time to search for and locate him.
According to one report, the navigator used "survival, evasion, resistance and escape" training to avoid capture by Iranians, after walking away from the crash site and activating a distress beacon.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the US military deployed MQ-9 drones that attacked and chased away anyone who tried to approach the officer on the ground.
A high-quality video of two Apache helicopters searching for F-15E fighter pilots who were shot down in Iran.
— Farzad Seifikaran (@FSeifikaran) April 3, 2026
Two US officials tell CBS News one crew member from the downed F-15E was rescued by US forces. pic.twitter.com/b3GYddMu9P
From Farzad Seifikaran's Twitter
The New York Times reported that the crew member was rescued in a "massive" operation involving hundreds of special forces fighters.
The rescue operation was complex, and included encounters on the ground. According to the report, the final twist in the rescue operation came when the two transport planes that were supposed to evacuate the commandos and aircrew to safety got stuck at a remote base in Iran.
The commanders decided to fly three new planes to rescue all American military personnel and aircrew, and blew up the two malfunctioning planes so that they would not fall into Iranian hands.
Iran reported nine deaths and eight injuries from US military attacks during an operation to rescue a crew member.
According to additional reports, videos from local eyewitnesses have been distributed that allegedly show wounded and killed members of the Revolutionary Guards and Basij who were searching for the American team member in southwestern Iran.
The American plane was shot down on Friday morning, and the American pilot was rescued alive the same day. In the documentation that allegedly came from Iran, the "remains of the plane" and the pilot's ejection seat were seen on the ground. At that time, the search operation began - which lasted two days.
The semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA reported that the governor of the southwestern province of Iran said that anyone who captures or kills the crew of the American plane will receive a commendation from the province. According to other reports, a cash reward of about $60,000 has been offered for the recovery of the crew of the downed plane.
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