Author：Wall Street CN
US President Trump said on the 4th that the US military had rescued the second pilot from Iran who was shot down in an F-15E fighter jet.
US President Trump announced the successful rescue operation in a post on the “Real Social Media” platform, saying, “In the last few hours, the US military has completed one of the most daring search and rescue operations in US history.” He added that the rescued pilot is “now safe and sound.”
Regarding the details of the rescue, Trump stated that the U.S. military had been monitoring the pilot's location and "meticulously planning the rescue operation." The pilot ejected and landed in the mountains of Iran, and on his orders, the U.S. military deployed dozens of aircraft and helicopters "carrying some of the world's deadliest weapons" to the rescue. "He (the pilot) was injured, but he will recover."
Trump also confirmed that the first pilot from the downed F-15E fighter jet had been rescued, but he hadn't confirmed it until now because he didn't want to jeopardize the second rescue operation. Trump also claimed that no Americans were injured or killed in either rescue operation.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, citing a U.S. government source, fierce fighting broke out during the rescue operation. The report stated that the firefight occurred near Kojiluye County in southwestern Iran, where the fighter jet crashed, and has so far resulted in at least four deaths and one injury. The report did not disclose specific details regarding the casualties.
The US and Iran had previously engaged in a "race" search for this pilot.
USA
According to CNN, the U.S. military deployed search and rescue aircraft and helicopters into Iranian territory. One surviving pilot was rescued, while the other remains missing. A search and rescue operation was subsequently launched. According to British sources, U.S. special forces entered Iranian territory on the evening of the 3rd to conduct search and rescue operations.
US President Donald Trump gave a brief telephone interview to the British newspaper The Independent on the 3rd, and was asked how the US would respond if the pilot were captured or harmed in Iran. Trump said, "I can't say because—we hope that won't happen." He then quickly ended the call.
Iran
On April 3, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it had shot down a U.S. fighter jet within Iranian territory. U.S. officials subsequently confirmed that a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle two-seat fighter jet crashed in Iran; one pilot was rescued, while the other remains missing.
According to Iranian sources on March 3, the governor of Kojiluye-Bove Ahmed province encouraged local residents to hunt down the U.S. pilot who crashed in the area. The governor stated that local security and military forces are making every effort to search for the pilot, and the provincial government will give special commendation to any individual or group that successfully captures or eliminates enemy personnel.
Experts: Pilots' fates are closely linked to the course of the war.
The whereabouts and ultimate fate of the two US pilots on the F-15E will have a significant impact on the current course of the war.
First, the US rescue force, consisting of HC-130J aircraft and HH-60 helicopters, may be attacked by air defenses again after entering Iranian airspace.
Secondly, if a U.S. pilot is killed or captured by Iran and the incident is publicized through the media, the decision-makers who initiated the war will face stronger anti-war sentiment within the United States, which will then affect subsequent military decisions.
Third, even if the U.S. military successfully rescues the pilot and the rescue team suffers no casualties, this incident will still cause the U.S. military to reassess the risks posed by the airstrike.
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