US President Donald Trump on Sunday said an American military officer was rescued following what he described as one of the “most daring” search and rescue operations in US history.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “WE GOT HIM! … the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History… [he] is now SAFE and SOUND!”
He said the officer, a colonel, had been “behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran” and was being pursued by enemy forces before being recovered.
“At my direction, the US Military sent dozens of aircraft… to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine,” Trump added in the post.
Read: Iran mocks Trump’s 48-hour ‘ultimatum rant’
The United States government confirmed the rescue of an airman caught behind enemy lines after Iran shot down his F-15 fighter jet, resolving a major crisis for President Donald Trump with the war with Iran in its sixth week.
“Over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared Trump’s statement on X.
FROM PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
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, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly…
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) April 5, 2026
The airman, who Trump said held the rank of colonel, was the second member of a two-person crew of an F-15 that Iran said on Friday had been brought down by its air defenses. Reuters reported on Friday that the first member of the crew had been recovered, triggering a high-profile search for the remaining airman by both Iran and the United States.
Iranian officials had called on citizens to help locate the remaining American, hoping to gain leverage against Washington in the war Trump and Israel launched on February 28. He has threatened to escalate the conflict in the coming days with attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure.
A hostage crisis could have shifted American public perception of a conflict that, according to opinion polls, has already struggled to win popular support.
Trump did not provide details on the rescue but said it was the first time in memory that two US pilots had been rescued, separately, deep in enemy territory.
The high-stakes US rescue effort, which involved dozens of military aircraft, encountered fierce resistance from Iran.
Reuters reported on Friday that two Black Hawk helicopters involved in the search effort were hit by Iranian fire but made it out of Iranian airspace. In a separate incident, an A-10 Warthog fighter aircraft was hit and crashed over Kuwait, with the pilot ejecting, the officials said. The extent of any injuries among the aircraft’s crew remained unclear.
Still, Trump was triumphant
“The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies,” he said in his statement.
