Trump Recounts ‘Breathtaking’ 48-Hour Rescue of Downed Airmen; Threatens Jail for Media Leakers

President Trump recounts the "harrowing" rescue of two airmen in Iran and threatens to jail "leakers" who he claims endangered the mission.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 6, 2026, 2:55 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

A Massive Display of Aerial Force and Subterfuge

During a high-stakes White House press conference on Monday, President Donald Trump revealed the scale of "Operation Epic Fury’s" search and rescue mission in Iranian territory. The President described a two-stage extraction following the downing of a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle. The first stage involved 21 aircraft flying in broad daylight for seven hours under "very, very heavy enemy fire" to retrieve the pilot via an HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter. Trump emphasized the peril of the mission, noting that U.S. forces faced gunfire at "very close range" during the extraction.

The 48-Hour Survival of the Weapon System Officer

The second crew member, a weapon system officer, was stranded a significant distance from the pilot in "treacherous mountain terrain" teeming with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces. Trump recounted how the badly injured officer scaled cliff faces while "bleeding rather profusely" to evade capture. The airman used a "sophisticated beeper type apparatus" to transmit his location after treating his own wounds. To secure his rescue, the U.S. mobilized 155 aircraft and employed a campaign of "subterfuge," sending thousands of troops to false locations to mislead Iranian forces before descending on the actual site to extract the officer.

Equipment Losses and Contingency Execution

The President confirmed that the U.S. military was forced to destroy its own equipment during the extraction. Two "old planes" reportedly became stuck in wet sand at a landing site; Trump stated he ordered the aircraft to be blown up to prevent American technology from falling into Iranian hands. "Faster, lighter planes" were then deployed to extract the rescue teams in 15-minute intervals. Trump praised the military's preparedness, stating he was most impressed by the seamless execution of the contingency plans under fire.