An American airman stranded in Iran has been successfully retrieved by US forces. The crew member, along with the special operations team involved in the rescue, has been confirmed to be “safely out of Iran,” according to recent reports.

This airman was part of a duo aboard an F-15E Strike Eagle that was shot down earlier this week. Both crew members managed to eject over southwestern Iran, sparking a daring and high-stakes rescue mission.

Following intense combat near the crash location, the second crew member was also rescued as US forces executed a complex operation within Iranian borders, as reported by Fox News.

The airman, along with the team that extricated him “from behind enemy lines in Iran, are all safely out of Iran,” the media outlet disclosed, citing information from two senior US officials.

The mission took place amidst reports of aerial bombardments and conflicts in the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, where local authorities indicated multiple casualties.

Iranian forces had been on the hunt for the pilot, at one stage claiming they had captured him, although these claims were never substantiated.

Both F-15E crew members are now safely recovered following the dramatic mission.