The mission may have marked the first deployment of American soldiers on Iranian soil during the war; reports of ground fighting and aircraft destruction have not yet been fully independently confirmed
The crew member of the U.S. Air Force F-15E fighter jet who had been missing in Iran since Friday was rescued by American teams, according to President Donald Trump in a post on Truth Social. According to the U.S. leader, the action was “one of the boldest search and rescue operations in the history of the United States.”
The operation, which according to reports may have involved American soldiers on Iranian soil, was first reported by outlets such as Axios, Fox News, and Al Jazeera. So far, some of the details released still lack independent confirmation.
According to Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera, which cited an unidentified U.S. government official, the weapons systems officer was recovered after a “fierce firefight.” Meanwhile, journalist Barak Ravid of Axios reported that the serviceman may have been injured during ejection but survived and fled on foot for more than a day while avoiding capture by Iranian forces.
The Iranian agency Tasnim, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, had already reported airstrikes in an area where the missing serviceman was believed to be located, increasing tensions surrounding the operation.
According to Fox News, both crew members of the F-15E managed to eject after the aircraft was hit in southwestern Iran on Friday night. The pilot was reportedly rescued earlier, while the second crew member remained hidden on the ground until he was located.
Reports from American sources indicate that the serviceman used SERE training, short for survival, evasion, resistance, and escape, in order to avoid capture. He reportedly left the crash site and sent out a distress signal, which may have helped in locating him.
The rescue operation reportedly involved special units from different branches of the U.S. Armed Forces in a mission considered complex because it took place behind enemy lines. According to Fox News, there are no signs of fatalities among the American servicemen involved in the action.
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Axios also reported that the CIA may have taken part in preparing the mission through a deception operation. According to an unidentified American official, the intelligence service deliberately spread information that the officer had already been found and would be extracted from the country by land, while, in parallel, the real search continued with intelligence support. Once the exact location was obtained, the information was reportedly passed on to the Pentagon, the U.S. Armed Forces, and the White House, leading Trump to authorize the immediate rescue mission.
On another front, The New York Times reported that a critical moment occurred shortly before the end of the operation. According to the newspaper, two U.S. Air Force transport aircraft reportedly became stuck in a remote field in Iran. As a result, three other aircraft were allegedly used to extract all American servicemen, while the immobilized aircraft were reportedly destroyed on site to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands.
Fox News also stated that Iranian security forces may have been killed or wounded during the special operation. So far, however, there has been no official confirmation from Tehran.
As a result, the mission is now being treated as one of the most delicate episodes of the current war, both because of the alleged deployment of American troops into Iranian territory and the risk of direct military escalation between Washington and Tehran.
BIG: After evacuating the second crew member of the downed F-15E, the U.S. had to destroy two HC-130J Combat King II rescue aircraft and two helicopters that, for unknown reasons, were unable to leave Iran.
The aircraft were blown up on the ground to prevent them from falling… pic.twitter.com/McytCnmnq5
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 5, 2026
Source and images: The White House – X @WhiteHouse | U.S. Central Command – X @CENTCOM. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
