Missing US service member rescued afte F-15E jet downed in Iran, Trump says
Rocket trails are seen in the sky above the Israeli coastal city of Netanya amid a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacks on April 4, 2026. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP via Getty Images) /
A U.S. service member who has been missing since Iran shot down a fighter jet has been rescued, President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post early Sunday.
A frantic U.S. search-and-rescue operation unfolded after the crash of the F-15E Strike Eaglejet on Friday, as Iran also promised a reward for anyone who turned in the "enemy pilot."
A second crew member was rescued earlier.
What they're saying:
Trump wrote that the aviator is injured but "will be just fine," adding that he took refuge "in the treacherous mountains of Iran."
Trump added that the rescue involved "dozens of aircraft" and that U.S. had been monitoring his location "24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue."
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US fighter jet shot down over Iran, search continues
U.S. forces continue to search in a remote part of the Islamic Republic for an American pilot whose warplane was shot down by Tehran. On Saturday, President Donald Trump made a social media post warning Iran to open the crucial Strait of Hormuz by his Monday deadline and Tehran called his threat "unbalanced and foolish." Retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, Jason Harris joins LiveNOW’s Austin Westfall to discuss.
What we don't know:
While details remain limited, Fox News reports that U.S. personnel were able to reach the service member behind enemy lines and successfully extract him. All involved personnel are now believed to be safely out of Iran.
US F-15E shot down
Timeline:
The search for the crew member began after the F-15E was shot down inside of Iran on Friday. It was the first U.S. aircraft lost in Iranian territory during the war, the Associated Press stated..
The fighter was one of two jets that were reported downed during military operations that day. The Washington Post and Fox News Digital reported that an A-10 Warthog had been hit by enemy fire. Its pilot navigated the plane back to Kuwaiti airspace before ejecting and being rescued.
US fighter jets shot down: Search for pilot underway
U.S. and Iranian forces are searching for a missing American crew member after a U.S. warplane was shot down. The missing airman, a weapons systems officer, was aboard a U.S. F-15 fighter jet that was downed over southern Iran. One crew member has been successfully rescued, while the search continues for the second. We also know that a separate warplane was also downed, but no word on the conditions of those pilots on those aircrafts. Former Navy Pilot Mathew "Whiz" Buckley weighs in,
The Washington Post report added that two Blackhawk helicopters were also hit and crew members were injured, but they were able to make it back to base.
An anchor on an Iranian state broadcast is reported to have read a televised statement calling on local residents to capture "enemy’s pilot or pilots" and offering a reward for the pilot or pilot’s capture, according to the New York Times report.
Former Air Force Safety Center investigator Alan Diehl told the Associated Press that a Strike Eagle has an emergency locator in its survival kit. The locator can be activated manually or automatically.
The backstory:
Four U.S. military planes had gone down during the Iran war before Friday’s search-and-rescue operation.
In those previous incidents, three fighter jets were hit by friendly fire over Kuwait and a refueling tanker plane that crashed in Iraq following an incident with another U.S. aircraft.
The KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq while supporting operations in Iran. All six crew members aboard the aircraft died. U.S. officials attributed the crash to an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in "friendly airspace," and said the other plane landed safely.
Separately, three U.S. F-15E fighter jets were mistakenly targeted by friendly Kuwaiti fire. All six crew members ejected safely.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from multiple sources, including two senior U.S. officials and well-placed regional sources who spoke to Fox News, along with reporting from other outlets such as the Associated Press, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. This story was reported from Los Angeles.