US operation to rescue air officer from Iran unfolds

US Rescues Missing Airman from Iran After Intense Firefight

The United States has confirmed that a missing American fighter jet crew member in Iran has been rescued. The Air Force officer went missing on Friday after his F-15 jet was shot down over southern Iran. Two crew members ejected from the plane, and the pilot was quickly rescued by US forces.

A search had to be launched for the F-15’s weapons systems officer, who was reported to be “seriously wounded” and “brave”. According to President Donald Trump, two raids were conducted to rescue the airman, with the pilot being recovered in broad daylight during the second raid. The exact timing of the rescue is unclear.

The US president stated that the rescue mission involved a significant amount of planning and coordination, with multiple aircraft and personnel involved. He also mentioned that the airman was being hunted by Iranian forces, but was never truly alone due to the monitoring of his location by US military officials.

Iran has not publicly confirmed the details of the rescue operation, but state media outlets showed photos of what appeared to be wreckage from the F-15 and an ejection seat with an attached parachute. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that Iranian forces had also destroyed two C-130 aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters during the operation.

The US military has reported that this conflict has resulted in 13 US service members killed and over 300 wounded.

Source: Al Jazeera