Iran Confirms Safe Recovery of U.S. F-15 Fighter Pilot Following Crash, Says Trump
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran has safely recovered a missing crew member from the American F-15 fighter jet that crashed. Although the pilot had already been rescued by U.S. forces, an official connected to weapons systems had been unaccounted for since the incident. Trump confirmed that this crew member was rescued in good condition. Both the United States and Iran were actively involved in the search operation. The Iranian military had announced rewards for those who helped locate the individual. Videos circulating on social media show hundreds of Iranians searching in mountainous areas.
Iranian officials have claimed that the crashed fighter jet was downed by Iran’s own air defense systems, though no official response has yet been issued by U.S. authorities. Iranian state media reported on Friday for the first time that their forces had brought down the American aircraft in the country’s southern region. The military search and rescue mission managed to locate the jet’s pilot. During the rescue operations, an A-10 Warthog aircraft took part but reportedly came under attack over the Persian Gulf. The A-10 pilot was said to have ejected safely using emergency equipment.
After the F-15E jet was downed, the helicopter carrying the rescued pilot was also reportedly fired upon with a low-powered weapon. Several crew members aboard the helicopter were wounded as a result. According to American media reports, the helicopter was able to land safely. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that tribal groups living in mountainous regions opened fire on two Black Hawk helicopters involved in the U.S. rescue mission. A video confirming the incident was publicly released on Friday.
According to Iran’s official news agency IRNA, the top joint military command credited the country’s new air defense systems with shooting down both U.S. warplanes. However, the exact time and location of the F-15 crash have not been officially confirmed. Iranian state media mentioned two possible provinces — Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, or Khuzestan. Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad are mountainous southwestern provinces of Iran, home to more than 700,000 residents.