From the Liveblog of
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Second airman in downed jet rescued in Iran — report
A US airman downed in Iran has been rescued, Axios reports, citing three US officials.
According to the outlet, the navigator was rescued “by a specialized commando unit with a high volume of air cover.” All of the forces have left Iran, Axios reports.
The officials say the US Air Force carried out airstrikes against Iranian forces as the IRGC raced to capture the airman and prevent his rescue.
The pilot of the F-15, which was shot down on Friday, was rescued hours after the plane went down, in an operation in which Iranian forces hit a US helicopter.
Both crewmen had contacted US forces using a communications system after going down, Axios reports.
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