The rescued officer, identified as a weapons systems officer aboard an F-15, was extracted by US special operations forces after being stranded in mountainous terrain. Donald Trump said the airman, whom he described as a colonel, was injured but expected to recover.
“Over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US history,” Trump said in a statement.
The rescue came after Iran said it had downed the aircraft on Friday. The first crew member had already been recovered earlier, prompting an intensive search for the second airman.
According to officials, the operation involved dozens of aircraft and encountered heavy resistance from Iranian forces. At least one US aircraft had to be destroyed during the mission after malfunctioning while transporting the rescued officer.
Two Black Hawk helicopters involved in the search were also hit by Iranian fire but managed to escape, according to earlier reports.
In a separate incident, a pilot ejected from an A-10 Warthog aircraft after it was struck over Kuwait, though details about injuries remain unclear.
Trump said the mission marked a rare instance of two US crew members being rescued separately from deep within hostile territory.
US aircrews are trained in survival, evasion, resistance and escape procedures for such scenarios, but operating in unfamiliar terrain and without knowledge of the local language posed additional challenges.
The ongoing war between the United States, Israel and Iran has intensified across the region, with continued strikes, casualties and growing economic fallout driven by rising global energy prices.
