On Friday, April 3, an F-15E fighter jet was shot down in southwestern Iran and its two occupants ejected in flight, according to American and Iranian media. Tehran had promised a reward for the capture of the second occupant, the first one having been quickly evacuated during a special forces operation by American forces. On Sunday, April 5, Donald Trump announced that the American soldier was rescued during a military operation.
“We rescued the crew member/officer of the F-15, gravely injured and very brave, in the mountains of Iran,” Donald Trump declared on his Truth Social platform, initially describing him as simply “injured” and “safe”. “I will hold a press conference, with the military, in the Oval Office on Monday at 1pm (7pm in Paris),” he wrote.
“One of the most daring search and rescue operations in US history”
“In the past few hours, the US military has successfully carried out one of the most daring search and rescue operations in US history, to help one of our incredible crew officers, who is also a highly respected colonel, and whom I am pleased to announce is now SAFE!” the US president wrote on his Truth Social network. He specified that the soldier had been injured and that the rescue operation involved “dozens of aircraft.”
“War in the Middle East: our live coverage”
Meanwhile, the Iranian news agency Tasnim, citing a provincial official, reported that five people were killed in the American operation. The Iranian interarm command claimed that two Black Hawk helicopters and an American C-130 military transport plane participating in the search operations were “hit and are now burning.” Washington did not respond immediately. Since the start of the war, no American soldier has been reported killed or captured on Iranian soil, but 13 have died in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
On the 37th day of the war, Iran again attacked Gulf countries and Israel on Sunday, the day before the expiration of a 48-hour ultimatum given by Donald Trump to Tehran to reach an agreement or reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, under the threat of “unleashing hell.”
