US President Donald Trump says the American officer who went missing in Iran after the downing of his F-15E fighter jet has been rescued and is “now safe and sound”.
“WE GOT HIM!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the recovered officer, identified as a “highly respected Colonel”, is now “SAFE and SOUND” after being stranded “behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran.”
According to the Associated Press, the service member had been missing since Friday, when Iran downed a US F-15E Strike Eagle. US officials later confirmed the rescue, marking the recovery of both crew members aboard the aircraft.
Trump said the aviator is injured but “will be just fine,” and added that he had taken refuge in mountainous terrain while US forces tracked his position. He said the military had been monitoring his location “24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue.”
