President Donald Trump on Monday hailed the successful rescue of two U.S. Air Force airmen shot down over Iran as a “historic” demonstration that “we leave no American behind.”
He issued a stark warning to Tehran that the entire country of Iran could be destroyed in a single night, possibly as soon as tomorrow.
Speaking at a White House news conference alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump described the high-risk operation to extract the second airman, who had evaded Iranian forces for nearly 48 hours deep in treacherous mountain terrain.
He disclosed that the mission involved an unprecedented 155 aircraft, including four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refueling tankers, and 13 dedicated rescue aircraft, supported by extensive deception tactics to mislead thousands of Iranian searchers.
“The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump declared, doubling down on earlier social media threats against Iran’s civilian infrastructure.
He labeled Iran “evil” and made clear that the U.S. military had been authorized to take whatever measures necessary to bring the stranded airmen home.
Trump detailed the extraordinary bravery displayed during the operation.
He said the second airman, seriously injured after ejecting from the downed F-15E Strike Eagle, scaled cliff faces while bleeding profusely to transmit his location, adding that U.S. forces took “extraordinary risks” with no injuries among rescuers, though some aircraft had to be left behind and subsequently destroyed to prevent Iran from capturing sensitive technology.
The president praised the “great talent” and “a bit of luck” involved in what he called one of the most complex combat search-and-rescue missions ever attempted, emphasizing that similar operations are rarely undertaken.
He celebrated the outcome as proof of American resolve: “We leave no American behind.”
The rescues come amid escalating tensions following the downing of the U.S. fighter jet over Iran at the weekend. One airman was recovered shortly after the incident, while the second, described by Trump as a highly respected colonel and weapons systems officer, was trapped behind enemy lines, hunted by Iranian forces offering a substantial bounty before he was rescued.
Trump used the occasion to project strength, framing the successful mission as a message to adversaries that the United States will go to great lengths to protect its personnel while retaining overwhelming capability to strike if provoked further.
The remarks come on the same day Iranian state media reported the killing of Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi, head of intelligence for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in airstrikes on areas near Tehran, an incident the IRGC attributed to the U.S. and Israel.
Trump did not directly address the reported death of the senior IRGC official during the press conference.
