Trump says US rescued ‘seriously wounded, and really brave' F-15 crew member from Iran

ISTANBUL

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the US has rescued a “seriously wounded, and really brave" F-15 crew member "from deep inside the mountains of Iran."

Trump said on his Truth Social media platform that the rescued officer was a “highly respected Colonel,” adding that such an operation “is seldom attempted because of the danger to ‘man and equipment.’”

“The second raid came after the first one, where we rescued the pilot in broad daylight, also unusual, spending seven hours over Iran. An AMAZING show of bravery and talent by all!” he said.

“I will be having a News Conference, with the Military, at the Oval Office, on Monday, at 1:00 P.M.,” he added.

Trump said earlier on Sunday that the US rescued a military officer in "one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US history."

Noting that the officer suffered injuries, Trump said he "will be just fine."

He said the mission followed the separate rescue of another US pilot on Friday, which was not announced earlier to avoid jeopardizing the second operation.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. Iran has also restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.