The American aircraft was brought down on Friday, April 3, 2026. One of the pilots was quickly recovered, while the second went missing, prompting concern after Iran reportedly offered a reward for information leading to his capture.

U.S. forces immediately launched an intensive search-and-rescue operation to locate the missing serviceman before he could fall into enemy hands.

Speaking on Truth Social on Sunday morning, Trump confirmed the successful rescue.

“We found him. My fellow Americans, in the past several hours, the United States military carried out one of the most complex search-and-rescue missions in our history for one of our soldiers, a highly respected Colonel. I am pleased to report that he is now safe,” he said.

Trump added that the rescued pilot sustained injuries but they were not severe.

The pilot was located after several hours of coordinated efforts by U.S. forces, marking the conclusion of a high-stakes operation following the incident.