The US military clashed with Iranian forces deep within the other country on Saturday night — rescuing a downed pilot after nearly two days. Authorities had launched a frantic operation on Friday after Tehran shot down two American warplanes and launched a manhunt to capture the ‘enemy’ pilot. President Donald Trump confirmed the US service member (idenfied as a Colonel) had sustained injuries but was now “safe and sound”. 

“At my direction, the US Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine. This 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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

A frantic U.S. search-and-rescue operation had unfolded after Iran shot down a F-15E jet on Friday — focusing on a mountainous region in the southwestern province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad. A second American warplane was shot down over the Persian Gulf, with the pilot rescued after ejecting safely. Iran’s joint military command on Saturday said that it also struck two US Black Hawk helicopters on Friday,

Trump asserts ‘overwhelming air dominance over Iranian skies’

Iran had promised a reward for anyone who turned in the “enemy pilot” and Trump said the US service member was “hunted” by the enemy. The POTUS recounted how Iran had been “getting closer and closer by the hour” when the rescue finally occured. Trump also added that top military officials had been monitoring the location of the Colonel 24 hours a day as they planned a rescue mission.

“This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory. WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND! The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies,” he added.

Intense US-Iran clashes

According to reports, there were clashes throughout the night and multiple airstrikes in the city of Dehdahst. Al Jazeera ,reported earlier that at least four people were killed, while unverified social media accounts suggested at least nine casualties in Iran. Footage was released on Saturday allegedly depicting nomadic Bakhtiari tribesmen armed with rifles patrolling the mountainous terrain of Khuzestan province in search of the American personnel. In the video, one of the individuals is heard saying, “God willing, he will be found.” Iranian authorities had reportedly announced substantial financial bounties for the successful capture of the missing individual. 

A separate CNN report said Iranian tribesmen reportedly opened fire on American helicopters during search operations in the isolated highlands of the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces. The Fars News Agency said local groups in the Bakhtiari region targeted two Black Hawk helicopters on Saturday.