What happened
US special operations forces rescued the second crew member of an F-15E Strike Eagle that was shot down over southwestern Iran on 3 April. The Pentagon confirmed on 5 April that both crew members are now safe.
The jet, assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath in England, was hit during a night mission over Iran’s Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province. Both the pilot and the weapons systems officer ejected before the aircraft crashed.
The rescue
The pilot was recovered within hours of the shootdown. The second officer, a colonel, landed on a mountainside and hiked to a crevice at roughly 7,000 feet, where he hid for nearly two days.
The Central Intelligence Agency launched a deception campaign inside Iran, spreading false reports that both crew members had already been found. According to US officials, the disinformation bought time for the extraction team.
Elite Army Delta Force and Navy SEAL Team Six operators led the recovery alongside hundreds of other special operations and intelligence personnel. Israeli intelligence assisted with the operation, according to Haaretz.
Why it matters
The shootdown and rescue represent the most significant US aircrew loss and recovery since the Iran conflict began in late February. An A-10 Warthog was also hit near the Strait of Hormuz around the same time, though its pilot ejected and was rescued quickly.
Senior officials described the mission as one of the most challenging combat search-and-rescue operations in recent memory, given the mountainous terrain and active Iranian pursuit.