Washington, D.C. – The second crew member of a downed F-15E fighter jet has been rescued by US commandos overnight, ending a dramatic two-day search after the warplane crashed in south-west Iran.
The crew member, a colonel and weapons systems officer, had sustained some injuries but was successfully extracted by US special forces, Donald Trump said in a social media post soon after midnight EST.
The US president called the operation to recover the airman "one of most daring search and rescue operations in U.S history" – and claimed that not a "single American" had been killed or wounded in the operation.
"At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine," Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.
Key developments:
- Second crew member of downed F-15E fighter jet rescued by US commandos in overnight mission
- Trump calls operation "one of most daring search and rescue operations in US history"
- Iran claims three US aircraft destroyed; three Revolutionary Guards killed
- Iran rejects Trump's 48-hour ultimatum to cut a deal or face "all Hell"
- Kuwait intercepts 8 ballistic missiles and 19 drones; fires at oil ministry complex
- Israel confirms attacks on Iranian petrochemical plants; at least five killed
- Lebanon death toll reaches 1,422 since conflict began on 2 March
- Aid groups warn war has upended ability to deliver food and medicine worldwide
A Daring Rescue Mission
Initial reports indicated that once located, the colonel was rescued by a special forces team under a hail of heavy covering fire. Three Iranian Revolutionary Guards were killed, according to Iranian sources.
US commandos extracted the officer – who had been hiding with just a pistol as defence – in an operation that involved hundreds of troops, and dozens of US warplanes and helicopters, the New York Times reported, citing US officials.
The crew members of the F-15E Strike Eagle, the first lost to enemy fire in the war, ejected from their cockpit on Friday after they were attacked by Iranian forces. The jet's pilot was soon rescued.
Then, late on Saturday night, US attack aircraft reportedly dropped bombs and opened fire on Iranian convoys as US forces converged on the airman's location and engaged in a firefight with the enemy, two former senior military officials briefed on the operation told the Times.
Iran Claims US Aircraft Destroyed
Iran's military said on Sunday that it had destroyed three US aircraft involved in the search operation. State media shared images of charred wreckage scattered across a desert area, with smoke still emanating from the site.
Footage emerged of what was said to be night-time clashes in Iran's Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, near the city of Dehdasht, about 30 miles from the coast in the south-west of the country, the area where US searches had been taking place.
Iranian media released pictures of a wreckage, including a distinctive F-15 tail fin, and a used ejector seat on Friday, with state media and businesses in the country offering a bounty if the missing crew member could be captured.
Iran Rejects Trump's 48-Hour Ultimatum
Iran has rejected Donald Trump's demand that the regime cut a deal in 48 hours or face "all hell." On Saturday, the US president posted on social media: "Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT," referring to an ultimatum issued on 26 March.
"Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them."
Iran's central military command rejected the ultimatum, with Gen Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi saying Trump's threat was a "helpless, nervous, unbalanced and stupid action." Echoing Trump's language, he warned that "the gates of hell will open for you."
Kuwait Under Attack
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense said on Saturday that its air defense forces successfully intercepted eight ballistic missiles and 19 drones over the last 24 hours. However, on Sunday a fire erupted in the Shuwaikh oil sector complex that houses the oil ministry and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation headquarters, after a drone attack.
Kuwaiti state media reported that two power and water desalination plants sustained "significant material damage" after being attacked by Iranian drones.
Israel Strikes Iranian Petrochemical Plants
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, confirmed that Israel attacked Iran's petrochemical plants after reports from Iranian media saying at least five people were killed in an attack on the Mahshahr petrochemical zone.
American and Israeli fighter jets targeted multiple strategic and civilian sites inside Iran's capital on Friday afternoon, including Shahid Beheshti University, one of the country's leading academic institutions, Iranian state media reported.
Lebanon Death Toll Rises
The death toll in Lebanon has reached 1,422 since the conflict with Israel began on 2 March, according to data from the Lebanese health ministry. In just the past 24 hours, Israeli strikes have killed 54 people and wounded 156.
Aid Groups Warn of Global Impact
Aid groups are warning that the war in the Middle East has upended their ability to get food and medicine to millions of people around the world who are in need, and that the suffering will deepen if the violence continues.
The conflict has cut vital shipping routes, creating a global energy crisis and forcing aid groups to use costlier, more time-consuming routes. The World Food Program says it has a huge amount of food stuck in transit, while the International Rescue Committee has $130,000 worth of pharmaceuticals intended for war-torn Sudan stranded in Dubai.
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