U.S. Special Forces have successfully recovered an airman who ejected from an F-15E shot down over southwestern Iran. This intense operation unfolded over the course of Friday morning.
Videos sharing online appeared to capture U.S. helicopters operating in the remote Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province. This rugged terrain is largely rural, inhabited by nomadic tribes who navigate through the mountains and plains.
As the night wore on, reports of gunfire and military strikes filled the airwaves, though the Pentagon remained tight-lipped. Iranian state media reported casualties in the region around 8:44 p.m. Eastern Time.
Later, at 11:46 p.m. Eastern Time, Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin, citing unnamed U.S. officials, reported the rescue of the second crew member following a “complex rescue operation” that commenced earlier in the day.
Griffin confirmed the successful extraction of the downed airman and the rescue team’s safe return from Iranian territory, as per two senior U.S. officials. The Weapons Systems Officer ejected alongside the pilot when their F-15E Strike Eagle was targeted on Thursday evening.
The WSO managed to navigate to a higher ridge away from the crash location, contacting rescue units through a secure device afterward.
Elite U.S. Special Operation forces, including Pararescuemen and other specialist teams, coordinated this intricate mission, ensuring that Iranian forces did not close in on the stranded crew member. Videos circulating from the operation showed fallen Iranian Basij forces allegedly searching for the U.S. personnel.
“It was a very complex operation to retrieve the downed service member,” revealed a source familiar with the endeavor, noting that no U.S. personnel were harmed during the rescue.
The A-10 Warthog, involved in the rescue efforts, crashed in Kuwait but was destroyed by a separate team due to sensitive equipment onboard. Fortunately, the pilot successfully ejected.
Video purportedly show locals and security forces mobilizing to the site where the rescue is allegedly ongoing pic.twitter.com/zlDXj1cMjn
— Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) April 4, 2026
The downed F-15, part of the 494th Fighter Squadron based at RAF Lakenheath, had a crew of two: a pilot and a weapons systems officer. Military sources confirmed both crew members successfully ejected after the incident, which had earlier reports from Iranian media corroborating visuals of the wreckage.
Images released showed elements consistent with an F-15E, leading to significant closure of the area by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
This marked the first instance of a crewed U.S. aircraft being downed in Iranian airspace since hostilities escalated in late February. U.S. forces successfully extracted one of the crew members shortly after the incident, ensuring their safe exit for necessary medical care.
Video footage from the day displayed U.S. helicopters and military aircraft executing the search and rescue mission. Reports also surfaced of U.S. personnel sustaining injuries due to small arms fire during the retrieval of the first crew member.
