CENTCOM: Both F-15 Crew Members Rescued, Strikes on Iran Continue
US Central Command confirmed the successful recovery of two American service members from inside Iran following separate search and rescue operations, while announcing that military strikes against Iranian strategic positions are ongoing.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Two American aviators are safe. The operations that brought them home were among the most perilous mounted inside Iranian territory — and the moment their rescue was confirmed, US Central Command made clear the war itself was far from over.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces had successfully completed the rescue of two service members from inside Iran, after their F-15E fighter jet was shot down on April 2 during a combat mission.
The two were recovered during separate search and rescue operations. CENTCOM added that US strikes into Iran are continuing as its forces work to dismantle the Iranian regime's ability to project power beyond its borders.
A rescue operation shrouded in danger
The recovery of the two crew members unfolded under extraordinarily tense conditions. US President Donald Trump, speaking to Axios on Sunday, April 5, 2026, revealed that approximately 200 soldiers from special operations units participated in the rescue of the weapons system officer, who had survived more than 24 hours wounded and in hiding inside Iran. Trump disclosed that Iran had downed the F-15 using a shoulder-fired missile, saying tersely: "They got lucky."
The weapons system officer's rescue was complicated from the outset by a radio message he transmitted after ejecting. Trump recounted the officer said: "Power be to God." A US defense official confirmed the account but said the exact phrase was "God is good." The message alarmed US officials, who initially feared the officer had been captured and that Iranian forces were transmitting false signals to lure American forces into a trap. It was only after consulting people who knew the officer — and who confirmed he was a deeply religious person — that the military proceeded with confidence. "It was not completely clear early on, but we stuck with it and verified he was alive and not captured," the defense official said.
The pilot had been rescued earlier in a separate operation — faster, in daylight, and under heavy Iranian fire — described by a US defense official as "a bold and quick snatch." The second rescue was conducted at night, after US forces established a temporary base inside Iran. "The two crew members were spread apart by a couple miles. Hundreds of IRGC soldiers were everywhere," the official said.
Trump acknowledged that Israel assisted the US military during both rescue operations, though a US defense official specified that Israel did not provide location intelligence on the weapons system officer. Israel did share broader intelligence about conditions on the ground, and the Israeli Air Force conducted one strike to prevent Iranian forces from closing in on the area.
"They have been good partners. They have been great and brave people. We are like a big brother and little brother," Trump said.
The rescue came as Trump warned separately that his deadline for Iran expires on Tuesday and that failure to reach an agreement would result in the destruction of all Iranian infrastructure. CENTCOM's confirmation that strikes are continuing signals that Washington has no intention of pausing its military campaign while diplomatic channels remain open.