President Donald Trump, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine commended the mission during a White House press conference. Both crew members were recovered in under 48 hours after ejecting behind enemy lines.
“This has been one of our better Easters, I think, in a lot of different ways [and] I can say, militarily, it’s been one of the best,” Trump said. He described the decision to launch the rescue as “risky,” noting the potential danger to U.S. forces.
“It’s a hard decision to make, but in the U.S. military, we leave no American behind; we don’t do it,” Trump added. He also said the aircraft loss was the only U.S. manned aircraft downed since the campaign began on February 28.
Trump described the shootdown as “a lucky hit; [Iran] got lucky.” He added, “But we got lucky, too, because we got both [of the airmen] back.”
Hegseth said the operation demonstrated the capability of U.S. forces. “Over this Easter weekend, the United States military has once again proved why we possess the greatest fighting force the world has ever known,” he said.
“In two extraordinary combat search and rescue operations deep inside enemy territory — in Iran — our warriors executed missions of breathtaking skill, courage and precision,” Hegseth added. “When our warriors are unleashed — as this president has allowed them to be — they are unstoppable.”
Caine outlined the sequence of the rescue effort following the aircraft’s downing. He said both crew members ejected safely, prompting a personnel recovery operation led by U.S. Central Command.
“Over the next hours, the search and rescue task force crossed the beach, entered into Iranian airspace — protected by a fighter strike package — and moved into the objective area, all under [enemy] fire,” Caine said. The initial rescue force included 21 aircraft and specialized personnel.
According to officials, the pilot was recovered first by an HH-60W helicopter under heavy fire without casualties. Trump said, “It’s amazing that, when you look at the [damage to the] machinery … that nobody was even injured.”
The second airman landed far from the pilot and faced hostile forces in difficult terrain. Trump said he was injured but managed to evade capture by moving through mountainous terrain and establishing contact with rescue forces.
The follow-on rescue mission involved 155 aircraft and included deception operations to mislead Iranian forces. “We wanted to have them think he was in a different location, because [the regime] had a vast military force out there; thousands of people were looking,” Trump said.
Officials said the operation highlights the complexity of combat search and rescue missions in contested environments. The Department of War said the successful recovery underscores U.S. military capability and coordination under high-risk conditions.
Source: U.S. Department of War.
