U.S. Rescues Aviators After F-15E Crash in Iran

U.S. forces successfully rescued two aviators from an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet that crashed in Iranian territory on Friday, marking the first confirmed downing of an American crewed aircraft since the onset of hostilities in late February.

The incident occurred during ongoing U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran, now in their sixth week under Operation Epic Fury. Officials said the jet was struck by a shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missile, causing the pilot and weapons systems officer to eject and land in separate locations amid rugged mountainous terrain. President Donald Trump, addressing reporters at the White House on Monday alongside top military and intelligence leaders, described the immediate decision to launch rescue efforts as essential to the U.S. military's core principle of leaving no service member behind.

The pilot was recovered within hours in a daylight operation involving more than 20 aircraft that penetrated deep into hostile airspace under heavy fire. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, detailed how rescue helicopters extracted the pilot while A-10 ground-attack planes suppressed Iranian forces in close-range...