US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that an American service member, missing after Iran shot down an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet, has been found in a rescue mission that involved 'dozens of aircraft.'
The crew member, a colonel, was the second crew member of the F-15 that Iran claimed had been hit by its air defences.
A high-pressure US search-and-rescue effort began after the F-15E Strike Eagle jet crashed on Friday, as Iran also announced a reward for anyone who handed over the 'enemy pilot.'
US Navy SEAL Team 6 commandos carried out the extraction as part of a large-scale operation involving hundreds of special operations forces and other military personnel.
The aviator, a weapons system officer, established contact through their communication systems after ejecting on Friday and was rescued after a day-long operation.
Iran attacked a US Black Hawk helicopter during the mission, injuring crew members, though it remained operational.
A senior administration official told Axios that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) ran a deception effort, spreading information inside Iran suggesting US forces had already found him and were planning a ground exfiltration.
The airman was later taken to Kuwait for treatment after being rescued by US Air Force jets that carried out strikes on Iranian forces to stop them from reaching the location.
