Trump Confirms Rescue of Two U.S. Officers Downed in Iran
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the officer had been stranded behind enemy lines amid Iran's mountainous terrain, actively pursued by hostile forces, before being extracted in a large-scale operation involving dozens of aircraft. Despite sustaining injuries, the officer, he assured, "will be just fine."
The Sunday rescue followed a separate recovery mission on Friday involving another downed US pilot — an operation that had been deliberately withheld from public disclosure to avoid compromising the subsequent mission.
"At my direction, the US Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him," Trump said. "This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory."
Trump also asserted that both operations concluded without American fatalities or casualties — a claim that was subsequently complicated by reporting from media, which indicated the rescued officer was in critical condition and that several US service members had sustained injuries, though all were confirmed safe.
Additional details began emerging from multiple outlets. According to The New York Times, which cited two former senior military officials briefed on the operation, the weapon systems officer had hiked away from the wreckage of his downed aircraft, taken cover on an elevated ridge, and activated an emergency distress beacon. US aircraft struck approaching Iranian convoys to keep hostile forces at bay as American commandos closed in — triggering a firefight on the ground. The full operation drew on hundreds of special operations troops, helicopters, warplanes, and a constellation of cyber, space, and intelligence assets.
Media described the firefight as intense, adding that several aircraft had to be destroyed during the mission. An A-10 Warthog that crashed Friday in Kuwait was identified as part of the broader rescue effort, with officials indicating that the full scope of the operation may never be publicly disclosed given its complexity.
The Wall Street Journal separately reported that two US Special Operations MC-130J aircraft were deliberately detonated on the ground at a remote site inside Iran after becoming inoperable, with commanders choosing destruction over the risk of capture.
Trump framed the twin rescues as a demonstration of unmatched US air superiority over Iran, lauding the armed forces as "the best, most professional, and lethal military in the history of the World" and calling the missions a source of national pride.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
