US rescues pilot of F-15 jet in ‘daring’ operation; Iran refutes claim
West Asia conflict: Colonel retrieved as Tehran says 2 C-130 aircraft, 2 Black Hawks downed
US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced the rescue of a missing American pilot, calling it “one of the most daring search and rescue operations in US history”, even as Iran contested the claim and termed the mission “a failure”.
In a statement, Trump said the US military had retrieved a senior officer, a colonel, who had been stranded behind enemy lines in mountainous Iranian territory after his aircraft went down. He said the officer, though injured, was now “safe and sound”.
According to Trump, the high-risk operation involved multiple aircraft and was carried out under constant surveillance and planning by top US military leadership, with no American casualties reported.
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US media reports, citing unnamed officials, said commandos were deployed into mountainous terrain after aerial bombardment cleared the area, with hundreds of military and intelligence personnel involved. The mission also reportedly included a deception effort by the Central Intelligence Agency to mislead potential captors.
The development comes amid heightened hostilities after Iran reportedly shot down two US military aircraft on Friday, including an F-15E Strike Eagle and an A-10 Thunderbolt II. The rescued officer was believed to be part of the crew of the downed F-15.
Trump also said another American pilot had been rescued in a separate operation a day earlier, a development kept confidential to avoid jeopardising the second mission. He described the twin rescues as unprecedented, claiming it was the first time two US pilots had been recovered from deep inside hostile territory in separate operations.
Emphasising US military capability, Trump said the missions demonstrated “overwhelming air dominance” over Iranian skies and reiterated that the US would “never leave an American warfighter behind”.
However, Iran rejected the US account. State-affiliated Fars News Agency reported that the rescue attempt had failed, claiming four American aircraft and helicopters were destroyed during an operation in Isfahan province.
Citing statements from Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the report said US forces attempted a Combat Search and Rescue mission involving transport aircraft and helicopters, but were detected and targeted by Iran’s air defence systems.
According to the Iranian account, two C-130 aircraft and two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were destroyed, along with supporting drones, after being tracked by an integrated defence network.
