Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had spoken with US President Donald Trump and congratulated him on what he described as a “bold decision” and a “perfectly executed” American mission to
rescue a downed pilot stranded in Iranian territory after Tehran downed an F-15 fighter jet at Isfahan.
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In a post on X, Netanyahu said he personally praised Trump for the operation and noted that the US president had expressed appreciation forIsrael’s assistance in the rescue effort.
“I spoke earlier with President Donald Trump and personally congratulated him on his bold decision and a perfectly executed American mission to rescue the downed pilot from enemy territory,” Netanyahu wrote.
According to Netanyahu, Trump thanked Israel for its role in supporting the mission. The Israeli prime minister said the operation highlighted the close cooperation between the two allies.
“I am deeply proud that our cooperation off the battlefield is unprecedented, and that Israel could contribute to saving a brave American warrior,” Netanyahu said.
According to CNN, citing Israeli sources, Israel provided intelligence support and postponed some planned strikes on Iran to avoid disrupting the rescue operation for the US pilot.
Earlier, Donald Trump confirmed in a post on Truth Social that the US military had successfully rescued the second crew member of an F-15 fighter jet who went missing after Iran shot down the aircraft.
Trump described the mission as one of the “most daring” search-and-rescue operations in US military history and reiterated that the United States would “not leave a warfighter behind.” He said the officer, a highly respected colonel, was found alive despite being behind enemy lines in Iran’s mountainous terrain and had sustained injuries.
“We got him,” Trump wrote, adding that the rescue was carried out after hours of monitoring the officer’s location and carefully planning the operation while he was being pursued by enemy forces.
