US military rescues pilot after F-15E shot down over Iran

US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday morning that a US soldier, who went missing after his F-15E fighter jet was shot down in Iran, has been rescued. According to observers, the rescue followed an intense firefight between Iranian security forces and US rescue teams.

The US and Iran had been competing to locate the airman for nearly two days. As the war between the US-Israel and Iran entered its 37th day, Tehran had called on civilians to find the soldier and hand him over to authorities in an attempt to take a US prisoner of war.

Analysts suggest that if Iran had captured the soldier, it would have been a major victory for Tehran, which is facing constant attacks, and a serious blow to Washington. It could have been a moment that forced Trump's supporters, who have backed the war so far, to reconsider their stance.

Amin Saikal, a professor of West Asian and Central Asian studies at the Australian National University, told Al Jazeera, 'This was a major test for the US military because they do not want to leave any of their soldiers behind enemy lines.'

'But this rescue has given President Trump full freedom to adopt whatever strategy he has in mind,' Saikal added. Citing the 48-hour ultimatum Trump gave Iran to negotiate or open the Strait of Hormuz, he said, 'Otherwise, hell will rain down on them.'

Trump has already threatened to bomb Iran's energy centers. Targeting civilian infrastructure is considered a violation of the rules of war.

Since the US and Israel first attacked Iran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini and many other senior military and political leaders, at least 2,076 people have died and 26,500 have been injured in Iran.

The conflict has turned into a regional war as Iran has retaliated against Gulf countries hosting US military and commercial assets.

• What happened to the missing airman?

A two-seater F-15E fighter jet flying over southern Iran was shot down on Friday morning local time.

According to Tehran, the plane was shot down by Iran's new advanced air defense system. Although the US claims the system has been destroyed, Iran maintains it remains effective.

This was the first time a US plane had been shot down during this war and since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Washington immediately launched a rescue mission. Although the US military rescued one crew member hours after the crash, the second pilot, believed to be a colonel-level weapons systems officer, remained missing.

At least one Black Hawk helicopter was hit during the initial rescue, but according to US officials, it managed to stay airborne.

On Sunday afternoon, Trump revealed that the military had rescued the seriously injured soldier from within the mountains of Iran.

'Such raids are rarely conducted due to the danger to personnel and equipment. This is rare! A second raid was conducted after the first raid in which we rescued the pilot during the day. Spending seven hours over Iran was unusual in itself,' the US President said in a Truth Social post.

Previously, Trump had hinted that the US knew the location of the airman and was tracking him as the rescue operation progressed.

Around the time the F-15E was shot down, an 'A-10 Warthog' plane was also hit near the Strait of Hormuz, but the pilot managed to eject safely before the plane crashed and was later rescued. Iranian media reported that this plane was also hit by Iran's defense system.

• What was Iran's reaction?

After shooting down the F-15E, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cordoned off parts of the mountainous southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, believing the airman had fallen nearby.

Iranian media also reported tight surveillance in parts of the southern Khuzestan region, which houses key energy centers. At least five people were killed and dozens injured in a heavy US-Israeli attack centered on the same area on Saturday.

In a rare move on Friday, Iranian officials called on civilians to find and capture the missing US soldier. State-controlled TV repeatedly aired footage showing the wreckage of the downed US plane, and state media reported that Tehran had offered a $60,000 reward to anyone who captured the airman.

Nomadic tribes in the area heeded the government's call and began searching for the US airman. Footage from state media showed people carrying rifles and Iranian flags walking through the mountains in the country's southwest.

Iranian officials said some of them successfully fired on two US Black Hawk helicopters involved in the rescue mission. The BBC has also verified footage of Iranian people firing rifles at US helicopters.

Nomadic groups in Iran and elsewhere typically carry rifles to protect their livestock from wild animals and bandits.

The IRGC claimed on Sunday that during the operation to rescue the US pilot in southern Isfahan, the Iranian military destroyed two C-130 aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters.

• What did the US do to bring the soldier back?

Early Sunday morning, Trump announced in a Truth Social post that the missing soldier had been rescued through one of the most daring search and rescue operations in US history.

Trump said in his message, 'This brave warrior was behind enemy lines in the terrifying mountains of Iran, and our enemies were trying to hunt him down. The enemies were getting closer every hour, but he was never alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow warriors were monitoring his location 24 hours a day and planning diligently for his rescue.'

The President revealed some details of this high-risk operation. He ordered dozens of heavily armed aircraft to be sent to bring back the airman, who had managed to evade the Iranian military for two days. During this time, the US was tracking the airman.

Although Trump did not disclose detailed accounts of the firefight that reportedly occurred as the US military reached the airman and brought him back, he confirmed that the officer had sustained injuries and said he would make a full recovery.

According to Al Jazeera's John Hendren, information was received that there was heavy gunfire after the rescue operation, which was supposed to be a quick in-and-out mission, was prolonged.

Although the US military aimed to conduct the rescue mission under the cover of darkness after reaching the airman, enemy fire extended the mission until daylight, making it even more dangerous.

'It has been described as an intense firefight,' Hendren reported, 'Ultimately, they were able to get the airman out of the country... to a safe location. But this resulted in injuries, including to the airman himself. But in the end, the US succeeded in avoiding a situation where it would have a prisoner of war inside Iran.'

According to officials, the US had previously launched a disinformation campaign in Iran by falsely claiming that the airman had already been rescued to disrupt Iran's search efforts.

Iran has not yet confirmed this incident. According to Al Jazeera's Tohid Asadi, who is reporting from Tehran, the firefight appears to have taken place in the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad region, and there are reports of nine people killed, although it is unclear whether this was related to the US rescue mission.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials said on Sunday morning that another US aircraft, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules, had also been shot down.

The US has not responded to those claims. During the rescue efforts of the last 48 hours, at least one such plane and two small refueling helicopters were seen flying very low over southwestern Iran.

Al Jazeera