What we do – and don’t – know about the operation to rescue the US airman
By Sophie Tanno
(CNN) — The second US serviceman whose aircraft was shot down on Iranian soil has been rescued in a bold operation which marks a clear success for the US president at a time when he is under mounting pressure to end a war which has choked global energy supplies and sparked fears of further escalation.
In a triumphant post on Truth Social this morning, Donald Trump announced the second US service member of the downed F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet had been rescued.
The high-stakes search began after the aircraft was shot down over Iran on Friday, with state media releasing photos of what it claimed was wreckage of the jet, as well as a damaged ejection seat which CNN analysis found was consistent with that of an F-15E. The first crew member was rescued alive shortly after the crash.
Trump has touted the operation as “the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory.”
The precise details of the astonishing operation have yet to emerge. Here’s what we know so far — and what we don’t.
What do we know?
Both US service members of a US F-15 fighter jet that was downed over Iran on Friday have now been rescued. The first was rescued shortly after the crash and is receiving medical attention.
The second service member, who was a Colonel, “sustained injuries,” according to Trump, however he added he will be “just fine.”
As CNN’s national security analyst Alex Plitsas noted, the rescue prevented the crew member becoming a “strategic bargaining chip” for Tehran.
The rescue operation involved dozens of aircraft, armed with “the most lethal weapons,” Trump said. No American troops were killed or wounded during the rescue, he added.
Iran’s military said US forces used an abandoned airstrip to conduct the operation. The US is yet to confirm this but CNN has used satellite images to identify an area near where images on Iranian state media said showed the wreckage of aircraft.
Mick Ryan, a senior fellow for military studies at the Lowy Institute and a retired major general in the Australian Army, said it was a feat no one in the world could really pull off “like the US military has.”
What don’t we know?
We don’t know the precise details of the rescue operation and where it took place. Plitsas said it may go down as “one of the most harrowing rescue operations in US military history.”
The second serviceman’s exact location and identity remain unclear. Trump said the US military had been monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and “diligently planning for his rescue.”
Ejecting from a military aircraft subjects aircrew to extreme forces and can result in trauma, meaning that questions remain over the nature of his injuries. Former Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath previously told CNN it is a “very violent thing to happen to the body.”
Despite many in Iran calling for the immediate capture of the second downed US crew member, with officials offering a reward to anyone who found and handed him over, he evaded being caught behind enemy lines for nearly two days. According to CNN’s chief security analyst Jim Sciutto, the airman made contact with US military as early as Friday.
What is Iran saying?
Iranian state media are doing their best to undercut a triumphant moment for Trump, with outlets flat out denying that the US had rescued its missing service member.
Iran’s state Tasnim News Agency claimed “several enemy American aircraft” were destroyed in the Isfahan region.
“The invading enemy aircraft in southern Isfahan, including 2 Black Hawk helicopters and one military transport aircraft C-130, were hit and are now burning,” it said.
Video and images released by Iranian state media and geolocated by CNN appears to show the burnt out wreckage of several aircraft in southern Esfahan province.
State media claimed Iranian forces shot down the aircraft seen in the images. In a post on Truth Social President Trump, made no mention of aircraft losses, but did say no US service members were injured or killed in the operation. CNN has approached the US military for comment.
What does this mean for the war?
The successful rescue operation may not have that much of an impact on the conflict as a whole.
But, for Trump it offers some rare positive news, and the US president has called on all Americans to unite in pride over the mission. He described it as “a moment that ALL Americans, Republican, Democrat, and everyone else, should be proud of and united around.”
It also spares the US potential messy hostage negotiations that may have occurred if the US airman had been captured by Iran.
Yet the war is ticking on, with a final deadline issued to Iran by Trump to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face “all hell” due to expire on Monday. This follows a 10-day extension to the ultimatum previously granted by the US.
CNN’s Tim Lister, Danya Gainor, Jessie Yeung and Kit Maher contributed reporting.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
