President Trump heralded the daring and successful rescue operation of a missing weapons officer from an F-15E Strike Eagle shot down by Iran last week as an “Easter Miracle” on Sunday.
US forces had carried out a high-risk operation to retrieve the crew member in a mission that involved intense fighting near the crash site over southwestern Iran, deep behind enemy lines and rescued him without any casualties.
“The enemy was large and violent. The rescuers were brilliant, strong, decisive, and as cool as anyone can be,” Trump texted NBC’s Kristen Welker Sunday. “The Iranians thought they had him, but it wasn’t even close, and remember, we got two, but couldn’t talk about the first in that it would have highlighted that there was a second.”
“Such a rescue has never happened before in so violent an enemy territory. It is usually not done because it is considered not doable. Such a great military – Like no other. Happy Easter!”
The US had successfully extracted the other crew member earlier last week.
US forces had remained in contact with the two crew members after they were shot down over Iranian territory. The second crew member had been wounded but was able to walk.
Rescuing him was complex with dozens of warplanes and helicopters as well as hundreds of special operations troops.
Trump is expected to brief the public on the operation Monday during a press conference.
“The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies,” Trump posted on Truth Social late Saturday.
Iran denied claims that the mission was successful, suggesting that it was a failure similar to the infamous 1980 Operation Eagle Claw, the failed attempt to rescue the hostages that resulted in eight service members getting killed.
The regime is believed to have shot down the fighter jet near Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, which is close to Iraq on Friday. The Iranian government dangled a $60,000 reward for the crew members’ capture.
Questions have swirled over Iran’s ability to shoot down an advanced US fighter jet given the destruction caused to its missile stockpile since the Operation Epic Fury attacks began on Feb. 28.
The Friday attack from Iran marked the first time a US fighter jet was taken down by enemy fire since the start of the war. A second US military aircraft, an A-10 attack plane was also downed by Iran, though the pilot was able to get into Kuwaiti airspace before ejecting.
