Iran-US war latest: Trump confirms rescue of second American pilot from downed fighter jet in Iran – UK Times

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she was “proud of our troops, proud of our President, proud to be an American,” after Donald Trump confirmed both crew members of an F-15 jet downed over Iran had been rescued in what he called the most daring search and rescue operations in US military memory.

A missing U.S. service member who was shot down in Iran has been rescued, Donald Trump has announced.

“WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History,” the president posted on Truth Social late Saturday night.

Donald Trump confirmed that both crew members of an F-15 jet downed over Iran had been rescued, saying the back-to-back operations were the first time in military memory that two US pilots had been retrieved separately from inside enemy territory.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the second airman, a colonel, had been recovered from “the treacherous mountains of Iran” after being hunted by Iranian forces. He said the officer sustained injuries but would recover. Trump added that the first rescue, carried out the previous day, had been deliberately withheld from public confirmation to avoid compromising the second mission.

“This is the first time in military memory that two US pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in enemy territory,” Trump wrote. He said both operations had been completed without a single American killed or wounded, calling it proof of “overwhelming air dominance and superiority over the Iranian skies.”

The United States has rescued the second crew member of an F-15 jet brought down over Iran, two US officials have told Reuters.

The officials did not provide further details on the rescue, according to the news agency. The Pentagon has not publicly confirmed the rescue.

Iran said on Friday its air defences had shot down the aircraft. Reports indicated that the first of the two-person crew had already been recovered. The fate of the second airman had not been confirmed until Saturday.

Planet Labs, one of the world’s largest commercial satellite imaging companies, will indefinitely withhold images of Iran and the broader Middle East conflict zone after the US government asked all satellite imagery providers to restrict access to visuals of the region.

The California-based firm, which operates a large fleet of Earth-imaging satellites and sells frequently updated images to governments, companies and media organisations, announced the decision in an email to customers on Saturday. It said it would withhold imagery dating back to 9 March and expected the policy to remain in effect until the conflict ends. The restriction expands on a 14-day delay on Middle East imagery the company had imposed last month, which it said was intended to prevent adversaries from using the images to attack the US and its allies.

Under the new system, Planet Labs said it would switch to a managed distribution model, releasing imagery on a case-by-case basis for urgent, mission-critical requirements or where there was a clear public interest. “These are extraordinary circumstances, and we are doing all we can to balance the needs of all our stakeholders,” the firm said in its customer email.

The move cuts off a significant source of independent visual intelligence about the conflict. Satellite imagery is used by journalists and researchers to document activity in hard-to-reach areas, as well as by military operators for target identification, weapons guidance, missile tracking and communications. Some space specialists have said Iran could be accessing commercial imagery through US adversaries.

Another major provider, Vantor, formerly Maxar Technologies, told Reuters it had not been contacted by the US government but had independently applied enhanced access controls for parts of the Middle East. Those controls can include limits on who can request new images or purchase existing pictures of regions where the US military and its allies are actively operating or being targeted.

Iranian drones struck Kuwait’s oil ministry headquarters, two power and water desalination plants and a government ministry complex in coordinated attacks early this morning, causing significant material damage but no casualties, Kuwaiti state media reported.

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said a fire broke out at its Shuwaikh complex, which houses both the oil ministry and KPC headquarters, after a drone strike.

A separate attack on an office complex for government ministries caused significant material damage, the finance ministry said.

Two power generation units were taken out of service after drones targeted the power and water desalination plants, the electricity and water ministry said.

No injuries were reported in any of the incidents. Iran has not commented on the strikes.

The attacks mark a widening of Tehran’s campaign against Gulf Arab states hosting US military installations, now in its sixth week. Kuwait, which hosts several US bases, has been among the Gulf states repeatedly targeted since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz following US and Israeli strikes last month.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency, an Iranian NGO, has released its latest tallies on the number of civilian deaths from the ongoing conflict.

The group recorded at least 272 attacks in 14 provinces on Saturday, with at least 184 people injured or killed.

Saturday’s attacks bring civilian deaths to at least 1,616, based on the group’s tally.

In addition, there have been 1,213 military fatalities, and 711 fatalities that are unclassified.

U.S. and Iranian forces continue to race to find the missing pilot of a downed F-15 crew, with unconfirmed reports of a U.S. rescue mission on the ground in Iran emerging Saturday.

The fighter jet was shot down Friday while conducting operations behind Iranian lines.

Iranian authorities reportedly offering locals around £50,000 to anyone who hands over the missing pilot alive, it was announced on state television.

White House officials have remained largely silent so far on the search for the crew member, though the situation remains tense.

“Everybody in the world cares about that service member and getting them home safely – and how it will affect the war,” a source told The Washington Post Saturday.

Rumors have swirled online about the whereabouts of Donald Trump, with White house official firmly denying that his absence is health related.

The president has not been seen publicly since his appearance at the Supreme Court on Wednesday and national address that night. He is staying at the White House through Easter weekend, rather than at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, and does not have any public events scheduled.

The president’s official schedule lists “Executive time” at 8 a.m. Sunday, followed by a “Family Easter Dinner” along with the First Lady at 7 p.m.

Members of the Trump administration have downplayed speculation over this absence, saying that the president is working “nonstop.”

Meanwhile the race to find a downed U.S. fighter pilot continues, as well as ongoing speculation about a possible deployment of American troops on the ground in Iran.

Kuwaiti authorities have claimed two power and water desalination plants have been attacked by Iranian drones, Reuters reports.

The attacks have resulted in “significant” material damage to the infrastructure, and put two power generation units out of service.