President Donald Trump commended the U.S. military’s successful rescue of two Air Force service members and issued a stern warning to Iran, suggesting potential severe repercussions. “In a remarkable display of skill, precision, and force, our military engaged the enemy, secured the stranded officer, neutralized all threats, and exited Iran without sustaining any casualties,” Trump declared on Monday from the White House briefing room, surrounded by senior officials. The press conference followed the White House Easter Egg Roll, where he praised the heroic rescue mission of the two downed U.S. Air Force members in Iran.

Trump detailed the ordeal of the weapons systems officer (WSO) who was rescued on Sunday. “He climbed cliffs, bleeding heavily, communicated with his platoon, treated his own injuries, and reached out to American forces,” Trump recounted. The pilot had previously been rescued by special forces on Friday, after their F-15E was downed. The WSO spent nearly 48 hours behind enemy lines, from Good Friday until his rescue on Easter Sunday. “Divine providence was with us,” Trump noted, emphasizing the operation’s timing. He described the comprehensive effort that involved 155 aircraft, including 64 fighter jets, 48 refueling tankers, and 13 rescue aircraft, among others.

According to the President, the mission’s fleet exceeded the actual necessity. “We demolished the outdated planes,” Trump said. He highlighted the WSO’s use of a “beeper” to guide U.S. forces to his location, which was crucial in his rescue. “It was like finding a needle in a haystack,” Trump remarked. The airman initially reached out to U.S. counterparts with the message, “God is good,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth noted, affirming, “we leave no man behind.” General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, mentioned that the aircraft’s callsign was “Dude 44,” and numerous aircraft were dispatched within hours to rescue the pilot, celebrating the operation’s swift execution and meticulous planning.

Caine noted that a special operations force fought their way into save the downed WSO early on Sunday morning, even into the morning light. ‘We will always bring overwhelming skill and firepower,’ the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs added. When Trump was asked how many servicemembers were involved in the mission, Caine interjected: ‘I’d love to keep that a secret.’ ‘OK, well … but I will tell you the number. I’ll keep it a secret. But it was hundreds and hundreds of these people,’ the President responded. At the top of the briefing, Trump also chided an unnamed media outlet for reporting that there was a pilot that survived the crash, tipping off Iranians that there was a target they could chase. ‘We have to find that leaker, because that’s a sick person. Probably didn’t realize the extent of how bad it was. I can’t imagine that person did, but we’re going to find out.’ ‘It’s national security and the person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say and that doesn’t last long,’ the President added. The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail’s request to identify the reporter mentioned.

Later at the briefing, Trump chided a reporter from the New York Times, calling it ‘failing’ and saying the paper has ‘no credibility.’ Trump also threatened to unleash hell on Iran on Tuesday should it not strike a deal with the US to avoid further destruction. ‘The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,’ the President said, adding fuel to his previous threat that he’d target Iran’s infrastructure. When asked whether the war was wrapping up or escalating – scenarios that Trump has both teased – the President gave a clarifying answer. ‘I don’t know. I can’t tell. It depends what they do,’ he responded.