The two crewmen were shot down on Friday (Picture: US Air Force/AFP via Getty Images)
The second of two crew members who were in a fighter jet shot down in Iran on Friday has been rescued, Donald Trump said in a social media post.
A nerve-shredding race against time kicked off following news the plane had come down in enemy territory, with the US military straining to reach the missing men before the Iranians could capture them.
In his post on Truth Social this morning, the president confirmed reports that the pilot of the F-15E jet had been saved by US troops on Saturday.
The second member of the crew – thought to be a weapons system officer – was tracked down in a search-and-rescue mission lasting several hours, Trump wrote.
It involved ‘dozens of planes, armed with the most lethal weapons in the world’, he said, adding that the airman had sustained injuries ‘but he will be just fine’.
The post continued: ‘This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory.
‘WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND!’
BBC News reported there was engagement between US and Iranian forces during the rescue mission.
Iran was believed to be offering a prize over $60,000 (£45,000) for anyone who captures the missing crew member.
The anchor on the channel in Iran’s Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province told viewers: ‘If you capture the enemy pilot or pilots alive and hand them over to the police, you will receive a precious prize.’
Despite the apparent success of the search-and-rescue mission, the initial incident threatened to be a major embarrassment for the US military.
It marked the first time a US jet has been downed by enemy fire since the start of Operation Epic Fury at the end of February, and came after Donald Trump said Iran had been ‘completely decimated’.
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