Donald Trump announced on Sunday, April 5 on his Truth Social network that the second crew member of the F-15E fighter-bomber that crashed in Iran on Friday, April 3 was rescued by the US armed forces.
The rescued military personnel injured but “safe and sound”
The rescued F15-E crew member, “a highly respected colonel,” is “SAFE and SOUND,” emphasized Donald Trump on Truth Social. The US president, however, added that he was injured, but also specified that he “will pull through.”
“Dozens of aircraft” involved in the operation
Donald Trump described the pilot’s extraction from the F15-E as “one of the most audacious search and rescue operations in US history” and according to him, it involved “dozens of aircraft.”
CIA involved in creating a smoke screen
Citing sources within the Trump administration, several US media outlets, including Axios and NBC, explain that the rescue operation was partly made possible by a CIA ruse.
Previous rescue confirmed by Donald Trump
Since Friday, US media have reported that the first F-15E crew member shot down was rescued. Donald Trump had not yet confirmed this information, which he finally did on Sunday.
Iran claims to have shot down several US aircraft
According to Donald Trump, no Americans were killed or injured in the two rescue operations conducted since Friday, which proves to him “the undeniable air superiority of the United States in the Iranian sky.”
At the same time, the Revolutionary Guards claim to have shot down several “enemy flying objects” during the recent American rescue mission and speak of five deaths on their territory in strikes related to the pilot’s rescue operation.
According to the spokesperson for the Iranian unified command, quoted by the Tasnim news agency, a C-130 tanker aircraft and two Blackhawk helicopters were shot down by Tehran.
