American Special Forces have successfully recovered the second crew member of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle in a high-risk raid deep inside Iranian territory, President Donald Trump announced Saturday night in a triumphant Truth Social post: "WE GOT HIM!"
The rescue operation, described by sources as involving a specialized commando unit operating under heavy air cover, unfolded amid what officials called a "heavy firefight" with Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who were simultaneously racing to locate and capture the missing American airman. All U.S. forces are confirmed out of Iran following the operation.
"The shootdown was a nightmare scenario for the U.S. military, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also racing to locate the missing U.S. officer in southwest Iran over the past 36 hours," Axios reported, citing U.S. officials. "Both crew members were rescued in special forces operations inside Iran."
One U.S. official described the operation in stark terms: forces "unleashed a hail of heavy fire" and the commando unit operated with "a high volume of air cover" to secure the airman and extract safely. Former Army Ranger and Special Forces veteran turned journalist Jack Murphy, who first broke the story, described the operation as "dicey as hell" — noting that Iranian forces were actively hunting the pilot in the area while American rescue teams raced to reach him first.
A Tense 36-Hour Drama
The rescue capped a tense 36-hour search-and-rescue operation that had unfolded across the mountains of southwestern Iran's Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province. Reports indicated the missing airman had been evading Iranian capture, moving through rugged terrain while both sides scrambled to reach him.
Intense clashes erupted between U.S. Combat Search and Rescue teams and IRGC Basij militants attempting to intercept the operation. Iranian forces reportedly sent a special team to the region, and heavy fighting was reported in the area around Dehdasht. U.S. forces established a "fire zone" around the location where the pilot was found, with an A-10 Thunderbolt II deployed overhead to provide close air support. Iranian authorities had publicly called on citizens to help locate the "enemy pilot," offering rewards — a desperate and revealing measure that underscored how badly Tehran wanted the propaganda victory of a captured American airman.
They did not get it.
The Broader Conflict Escalates
The rescue of both F-15E crew members is a bright moment in what has become an increasingly intense and expanding conflict now in its sixth week. The downed F-15E was not the only American aircraft lost in the theater — a U.S. Black Hawk was also hit by ground fire, and an A-10 Thunderbolt II reportedly crashed near the Hormuz chokepoint on the same difficult Friday. The conflict is now escalating on multiple fronts simultaneously.
Iranian missiles struck central Israel on Saturday, triggering widespread sirens and causing damage in residential and industrial areas near Beersheba, with reports of cluster munitions and shrapnel injuries. Israel responded with heavy strikes on Tehran, targeting Iranian air defense and ballistic missile infrastructure. A projectile also struck the perimeter of Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility, prompting Iran to notify the International Atomic Energy Agency of the incident.
Iran has simultaneously intensified its campaign against Gulf-area targets. Iranian drones struck Kuwait's government ministries complex in Kuwait City on Saturday evening, causing significant material damage, while a separate drone attack started a fire at the Shuwaikh oil sector complex nearby. Kuwaiti officials reported that Iranian drones also struck two power and water desalination plants, causing what authorities described as "significant damage." Dubai's Oracle headquarters was hit by an apparent Iranian drone after Iran threatened dozens of U.S. technology firms operating in the Gulf region.
Trump Issues 48-Hour Warning
With the conflict deepening, President Trump issued a stark warning to Iranian negotiators, reminding them of his earlier ultimatum to reach a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz — and putting a hard deadline on the table.
"Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD! President DONALD J. TRUMP."
The warning comes as diplomatic back-channels remain active. Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt are reported to be working to bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table with a framework focused on ending hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. But with the strait still effectively closed and energy markets in crisis mode, the clock is ticking.
The Energy Shock Spreads
The strategic stakes of the conflict's sixth week extend well beyond the battlefield. With the Strait of Hormuz choked off, global oil markets are in turmoil. Brent and WTI crude futures both closed Friday in triple-digit territory as traders grew increasingly alarmed about the breadth of the supply disruption spreading from the Gulf.
Goldman Sachs analyst Yulia Zhestkova Grigsby captured the anxiety rippling through energy markets: "As the last tankers that crossed the Strait of Hormuz before the war are reaching their destination, concerns about potential oil shortages are rising." Her analysis identified "already critically low supplies of petrochemical feedstocks — naphtha and LPG — in Asia, with cross-product scarcity in multiple Asian countries in April."
JPMorgan analysts have mapped the trajectory of the energy shockwave, showing it hitting Asia first, then spreading to Africa and Europe, before ultimately reaching the United States — with California expected to feel the impact most acutely on American soil.
More than 30 universities across Iran have been directly targeted by U.S.-Israeli strikes since the conflict began in late February. Chinese firms with reported military ties have been marketing intelligence on U.S. force movements to interested buyers. The conflict's downstream effects — on energy prices, global supply chains, plastics production, and broader economic stability — are accelerating by the day.
A Moment of American Resolve
Amid the escalating complexity of a widening Middle East conflict, Saturday night's rescue stands as a moment of pure American military resolve. Special Forces operators went deep into hostile territory, fought their way through Iranian resistance, and brought their fellow American home. Every one of them made it out.
"WE GOT HIM!" Trump wrote.
Three words. Three words that, on a night of heavy fighting in southwestern Iran, were all that needed to be said.
All U.S. forces involved in the rescue operation have been confirmed safely out of Iran. Operation Epic Fury continues. President Trump's 48-hour ultimatum to Iran is now in effect.
Get the Exclusive
04.06.2026