Latest Breaking News

Pototan

(3,148 posts) Sat Apr 4, 2026, 11:50 PM 17 hrs ago

US Rescues Second Airman from Iran after "Heavy Firefight"

Source: Telegraph UK

An American airman who went missing after Iran shot down an F-15 fighter jet has been rescued after a "heavy firefight", a US government official told Al Jazeera.

Although the weapons officer has been recovered, the operation is still ongoing and the crew is still in Iranian territory, Al Jazeera reported.

The official told the TV channel that the conflict means the rescue team is not yet out of danger.

Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/05/iran-war-latest-news-trump-strait-hormuz-f15-pilot-rescue/

21 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

US Rescues Second Airman from Iran after "Heavy Firefight" (Original Post) Pototan 17 hrs ago OP

Great news! underpants 17 hrs ago #1

I am so, so glad to hear this Skittles 15 hrs ago #15

With this administration, it behooves everyone to get clarification on whether "rescue" RockRaven 17 hrs ago #2

Rescue usually means alive, MarineCombatEngineer 17 hrs ago #3

The key word is "usually" Random Boomer 16 hrs ago #13

Apparently, in this case, MarineCombatEngineer 16 hrs ago #14

ms now Finally reporting "US FORCES RESCUE MISSING AIRMAN IN IRAN" riversedge 16 hrs ago #4

the airman is alive and getting medical treatment rollin74 16 hrs ago #5

Washington Post reporting rescued, all returned safely AverageOldGuy 16 hrs ago #6

U.S. Forces Rescue Second American Aviator in Iran - WSJ question everything 16 hrs ago #7

Here is NYT story -- may be behind paywall AverageOldGuy 16 hrs ago #8

SOOOOOOOOO glad they found the missing airman. calimary 16 hrs ago #9

Once we (hopefully) return to saner times fujiyamasan 16 hrs ago #12

I smell a movie plot coming.... diverdownjt 15 hrs ago #16

Great news, but.... AZ8theist 16 hrs ago #10

Good point! Maybe Trump learned something and can finally forgive John McCain. thought crime 15 hrs ago #17

I agree with your last sentence.... diverdownjt 15 hrs ago #18

Me to. AZ8theist 13 hrs ago #20

Thank goodness he's been found and rescued! Now stop the bombing and the war! liberalla 16 hrs ago #11

The Epstein files are still out there... diverdownjt 15 hrs ago #19

Nice! Polybius 6 hrs ago #21

underpants

(196,583 posts)

1. Great news!

Reply to Pototan (Original post)

Sat Apr 4, 2026, 11:55 PM

17 hrs ago

Skittles

(171,795 posts)

15. I am so, so glad to hear this

Reply to underpants (Reply #1)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 01:27 AM

15 hrs ago

not much good news these days but this is great

RockRaven

(19,432 posts)

2. With this administration, it behooves everyone to get clarification on whether "rescue"

Reply to Pototan (Original post)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 12:03 AM

17 hrs ago

includes/means alive. Because that is what it would normally mean. But these are not normal times.

MarineCombatEngineer

(18,091 posts)

3. Rescue usually means alive,

Reply to RockRaven (Reply #2)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 12:07 AM

17 hrs ago

recovery usually means body recovered.

Random Boomer

(4,407 posts)

13. The key word is "usually"

Reply to MarineCombatEngineer (Reply #3)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 12:49 AM

16 hrs ago

This administration doesn't adhere to the normal standards of anything.

MarineCombatEngineer

(18,091 posts)

14. Apparently, in this case,

Reply to Random Boomer (Reply #13)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 12:50 AM

16 hrs ago

rescued means alive.

riversedge

(80,872 posts)

4. ms now Finally reporting "US FORCES RESCUE MISSING AIRMAN IN IRAN"

Reply to Pototan (Original post)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 12:17 AM

16 hrs ago

JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO THEY WERE AIRING RERUNS.

rollin74

(2,306 posts)

5. the airman is alive and getting medical treatment

Reply to Pototan (Original post)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 12:19 AM

16 hrs ago

No American casualties in the rescue operation. There were reportedly hundreds of special forces involved.

AverageOldGuy

(3,884 posts)

6. Washington Post reporting rescued, all returned safely

Reply to Pototan (Original post)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 12:23 AM

16 hrs ago

From the WashPost

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/04/04/us-pilot-rescue-iran-f15-crash/

U.S. forces have rescued the missing crew member of a fighter jet that was shot down over Iran, and all personnel involved in the rescue have returned safely, a U.S. official familiar with the operation told The Washington Post, speaking on the condition of anonymity to provide sensitive details not yet made public.

Trump is -- as usual -- claiming credit for the rescue.

question everything

(52,158 posts)

7. U.S. Forces Rescue Second American Aviator in Iran - WSJ

Reply to Pototan (Original post)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 12:26 AM

16 hrs ago

U.S. forces rescued an American aviator trapped in Iran in a daring mission early Sunday morning, according to U.S. officials. The crew member had been stuck in Iran for more than 24 hours.

All forces involved in the rescue are safely out of Iranian airspace, according to the officials. The aviator, who hasn't yet been identified, was one of two aircrew flying in an F-15E Strike Eagle when it was shot down by Iranian forces on Friday. A U.S. military team rescued the other crewmember on Friday and that person is now safe.

The rescue comes less than two days before President Trump’s deadline for Iran to negotiate a deal with the U.S. or open the Strait of Hormuz.

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/iran-war-news-2026?mod=breakingnews

AverageOldGuy

(3,884 posts)

8. Here is NYT story -- may be behind paywall

Reply to Pototan (Original post)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 12:28 AM

16 hrs ago

NYT:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/04/04/world/iran-war-trump-news

An Air Force officer whose fighter jet had been shot down in Iran was rescued by U.S. Special Operations forces in a risky Saturday night mission that took commandos deep into enemy territory, said current and former U.S. officials briefed on the operation.

The rescue followed a life-or-death race between U.S. and Iranian forces that stretched over two days to reach the injured airman, who was a weapons officer, the officials said. In the end, U.S. commandos extracted the officer in a massive operation that involved hundreds of special operations troops.There were no U.S. casualties among the rescue team, a senior U.S. military official said. All the commandos, and the weapons officer returned safely. Rescue planes flew to Kuwait to treat the injured weapons officer.

I have seen one report that we destroyed two of our rescue aircraft. MSNOW is reporting (12:17 AM EDST, 4/5/2026) that two "transport aircraft" were damaged, replacement aircraft were flown in, the two damaged aircraft were destroyed by US forces.

calimary

(90,100 posts)

9. SOOOOOOOOO glad they found the missing airman.

Reply to Pototan (Original post)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 12:29 AM

16 hrs ago

David Rohde: “Amazing that he was able to evade capture.”

fujiyamasan

(1,734 posts)

12. Once we (hopefully) return to saner times

Reply to calimary (Reply #9)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 12:44 AM

16 hrs ago

It will make for a great Hollywood movie. Right now, I’d rather this shitty real time movie end asap.

Either way, this was an impressive rescue. Glad to hear they were able to make it out.

diverdownjt

(743 posts)

16. I smell a movie plot coming....

Reply to calimary (Reply #9)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 01:33 AM

15 hrs ago

So very glad they are all safe!!!!

AZ8theist

(7,407 posts)

10. Great news, but....

Reply to Pototan (Original post)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 12:42 AM

16 hrs ago

Why is Doturd "praising" the airman?

I thought they were all "losers and suckers"??

And he doesn't like pilots who get shot down, right?

Doturd is a complete shitshow. Here's hoping he's FUCKING DEAD REAL SOON!!!

thought crime

(1,592 posts)

17. Good point! Maybe Trump learned something and can finally forgive John McCain.

Reply to AZ8theist (Reply #10)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 01:33 AM

15 hrs ago

The difference, of course, is that D.Trump wasn't available to direct the rescue of John McCain, so he got captured.

diverdownjt

(743 posts)

18. I agree with your last sentence....

Reply to AZ8theist (Reply #10)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 01:39 AM

15 hrs ago

10,000%

I'm mad as hell right now that our people are being put in harms way by a shitbird who could care less about them.
Why do any of them continue to support him.

AZ8theist

(7,407 posts)

20. Me to.

Reply to diverdownjt (Reply #18)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 03:50 AM

13 hrs ago

Our brave service people should NEVER have been put in this position.

It's almost equivalnt of the poor souls who are being slaughtered in Ukraine by that dictatorial meglomanical fool in the Kremlin.
ZERO care about life of anyone. This stupidity was accomplished because Dotard needed a distraction from his child raping in the Epstein files as well as Netanyahu convincing an idiot to do his bidding.

Putin and Dotard will go down in history of the most incompetent leaders in world history.

liberalla

(11,113 posts)

11. Thank goodness he's been found and rescued! Now stop the bombing and the war!

Reply to Pototan (Original post)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 12:44 AM

16 hrs ago

This whole thing needs to stop NOW.

diverdownjt

(743 posts)

19. The Epstein files are still out there...

Reply to liberalla (Reply #11)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 01:45 AM

15 hrs ago

Must continue the distraction...I mean exscursion...war...military action...whatever it is called.
I call it an abomination and a war crime. Can someone drag this fucker to the Hague so we can
begin it's trial??
How do you hold a demon accountable?

Polybius

(21,913 posts)

21. Nice!

Reply to Pototan (Original post)

Sun Apr 5, 2026, 10:32 AM

6 hrs ago

And just in time for Easter!

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