\u201cThis brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies,\u201d Trump said on Truth Social.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe sustained injuries, but he will be just fine,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cThis miraculous Search and Rescue Operation comes in addition to a successful rescue of another brave Pilot, yesterday, which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardise our second rescue operation.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the first time in military memory that two US Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory. WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND!\u201d Trump asserted.<\/p>\n He repeated his claims of the US achieving \u201coverwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies\u201d.<\/p>\n \n <\/a>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n According to US media<\/a>, the crew member<\/a>, a weapons systems officer, was wounded after ejecting on Friday but was able to walk and evaded capture in the mountains for more than a day.<\/p>\n Both crew members were rescued in coordinated operations inside Iran, highlighting a daring military response to one of the US military\u2019s most dangerous scenarios in the region.<\/p>\n The F-15 pilot was rescued several hours after ejecting, while a US Blackhawk helicopter involved in that operation was struck by Iranian fire, wounding crew members but returning to base.<\/p>\n The second rescue operation<\/a>, conducted on Saturday, involved a specialised commando unit with heavy air support, and all forces were extracted safely. Reports claim US Air Force jets also struck Iranian positions to prevent the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from intercepting the operation.<\/p>\n Iran also downed an A-10 attack aircraft on Friday, challenging claims from US officials of unchallenged air dominance over Iranian skies. That pilot was able to fly to friendly territory and eject safely.<\/p>\n According to these reports, Trump and senior administration officials monitored the rescue operations from the White House Situation Room, underscoring the high stakes of the incident.<\/p>\n On Saturday, Trump has renewed his threats<\/a> against Tehran and asked it to make a deal or \u201copen up\u201d the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face oblivion.<\/p>\n \u201cTime is running out \u2014 48 hours before all Hell will reign [sic] down on them,\u201d he wrote on Truth Social.<\/p>\n The new deadline came as Iran struck Israel multiple times on Saturday, including its defence ministry headquarters in central Tel Aviv, while also claiming that it deployed a new air defence system to deny the US-Israeli jets air superiority.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts have shown very little progress in recent days, leaving military actions as the primary means of responding to the crisis.<\/p>\n Adding to tensions, Trump posted<\/a> on social media on Friday that with \u201ca little more time\u201d, the US could \u201cOPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/a>Aggressive rhetoric places region at dangerous juncture<\/h2>\n
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