U.S. Military Rescues Airman Shot Down in Iran After Three-Day Search

By Mike Bedigan

*Published: 2026-04-05*

A U.S. service member, identified as a weapons system officer from an F-15E Strike Eagle, was rescued on April 4, 2026, three days after the aircraft was shot down during military operations in Iran, according to an announcement by President Donald Trump.

Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after midnight on April 4, stating: “WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History.”

The incident occurred on day 37 of U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran, which began on February 28, 2026. The F-15E was reported shot down on April 3 while conducting operations in Iran. The pilot ejected and was rescued the same day, according to U.S. military officials.

An Iranian state television anchor had previously announced that authorities offered a bounty for anyone handing over the missing airman alive, though U.S. officials have not confirmed this claim.

Trump described the rescued airman as a “highly respected Colonel” who was “SAFE and SOUND!” He added that the service member, who sustained injuries in the crash, “will be just fine.” The president wrote that the airman was “behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies,” and that U.S. forces monitored his location continuously before launching the rescue with “dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World.”

The airman was equipped with a beacon, a secure communication device, and a pistol while evading capture, according to reports. Fox News cited sources stating the weapons officer hiked from the wreckage to an elevated ridge.

During the initial rescue for the pilot on April 3, Iranian fire struck a U.S. helicopter, wounding crew members aboard, though the aircraft landed safely, military officials said. An A-10 Warthog aircraft supporting the mission also took fire; its pilot ejected over the Persian Gulf and was rescued, officials reported.

Iranian state media claimed to have shot down additional U.S. aircraft involved in rescue operations, according to reports from Al Jazeera and The Guardian, though U.S. officials have not confirmed these assertions.

A senior U.S. military official described the operation to rescue the weapons system officer as one of the most challenging in U.S. special operations history. Sources told The New York Times that the search, the military’s highest priority over 48 hours, involved hundreds of troops, dozens of warplanes, helicopters, and intelligence networks.

Trump stated that details of the pilot’s rescue were withheld to avoid jeopardizing the second operation, calling it “the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory.” He claimed the rescues occurred “without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded,” adding that this demonstrated “overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies.”

However, earlier reports indicated wounded crew members from the helicopter during the pilot’s rescue. The downed F-15 marked the first U.S. aircraft lost to enemy fire since the start of the current operations.

Trump also referenced U.S. casualties in the conflict, though specific figures vary by source. Reports have cited at least 13 U.S. service members killed and more than 300 injured, according to military statements, but exact totals were not independently verified in this context.

Earlier on April 4, Trump shared a video on Truth Social purporting to show a “massive strike” in Tehran, claiming it resulted in the deaths of “many of Iran’s Military Leaders” and other targets. The timing of the attack was unclear.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), an Iranian activist group, reported at least 272 attacks across 14 provinces on April 4, with at least 184 people injured or killed. HRANA’s tally brought civilian deaths in the conflict to at least 1,616, though these figures are disputed by Iranian state media and have not been independently verified.

After the weapons officer’s rescue, two U.S. transport planes remained at a remote air base in Iran, The New York Times reported. Three additional planes were dispatched to extract rescue teams, and the original aircraft were destroyed to prevent capture.

Trump had not publicly addressed the search prior to his April 4 post. He last appeared publicly at the Supreme Court on April 1, followed by a national address on the war. In a brief phone interview with The Independent on April 3, Trump declined to speculate on potential responses if Iranian forces captured the airman, saying, “Well, I can't comment on it because — we hope that's not going to happen.”

The incident is the first U.S. pilot downed over enemy territory since 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Trump remained at the White House over Easter weekend, forgoing his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, with no public events scheduled. Online speculation about his absence prompted White House clarifications denying health-related concerns.

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