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44 mins agoPinned
US forces locate and evacuate downed airman in Iran
U.S. forces have located and evacuated the missing weapons systems officer who was downed over Iran, two senior US officials and multiple well placed sources in the region confirmed to Fox News.
The airman had been unaccounted for after an F-15E fighter jet was shot down, triggering an intense search-and-rescue operation in hostile territory.
Details remain limited, but reports indicate U.S. personnel reached the service member behind enemy lines in Iran and successfully extracted him, with all personnel now safely out of the country.
More details will be reported as they become available.
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this reporting.
Posted by Michael Sinkewicz
10 mins ago
Trump says US carried out daring rescue of downed service member behind enemy lines in Iran
President Donald Trump reacted to the evacuation of a U.S. weapons systems officer who was downed in Iran earlier this week.
“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, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
The president continued, “This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue.”
Trump said the “miraculous” search effort involved dozens of aircraft.
“At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine,” Trump said.
Posted by Michael Sinkewicz
1 hour ago
Pope Leo XIV calls for peace in Easter message amid global conflict
Pope Leo XIV on Saturday called for peace in a world facing widespread conflict during his Easter message, urging unity and hope.
In his homily, Leo said that sin is “a heavy barrier that closes us off and separates us from God, seeking to kill his words of hope within us,” connecting it to the stone that covered Jesus’ tomb but was later overturned, revealing his resurrection.
Leo said there are stones representing sins that must be overturned today, some “so heavy and so closely guarded that they seem to be immovable.”
“Some weigh heavily on the human heart, such as mistrust, fear, selfishness and resentment; others stemming from these inner struggles, sever the bonds between us through war, injustice and the isolation of peoples and nations.
“Let us not allow ourselves to be paralyzed by them!” Leo said, calling for a commitment “so that the Easter gifts of harmony and peace may grow and flourish everywhere and always throughout the world.’’
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Posted by Michael Sinkewicz
2 hours ago
ICE arrests relatives of slain Iranian general Soleimani in US after Rubio revokes their green cards
Two relatives of slain Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani living in Los Angeles were taken into custody by federal agents after Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked their green cards, officials said.
Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, identified as Soleimani’s niece, and her daughter were arrested and are now being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to an announcement Saturday from the State Department.
The Trump administration says Afshar has been a supporter of Iran’s “totalitarian, terrorist” regime.
“Afshar is the niece of deceased Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani,” Rubio wrote on X. “She is also an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the ‘Great Satan.’
“This week, I terminated both Afshar and her daughter’s legal status and they are now in ICE custody, pending removal from the United States.”
In January 2020, a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad killed Soleimani during President Donald Trump’s first term in office.
While living in the U.S., Afshar “promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praised the new Iranian Supreme Leader, denounced America as the ‘Great Satan,’ and voiced her unflinching support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terrorist organization,” the State Department said.”
[Afshar] pushed this propaganda for Iran’s terrorist regime while enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles, as attested to by her frequent posting on her recently deleted Instagram account,” the department said.
This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital’s Sophia Compton and Fox News’ Bill Melugin.
3 hours ago
Fired Army chief issues farewell amid wartime Pentagon shakeup
Former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George urged senior leaders to remain focused on the mission in a farewell letter obtained by Fox News following his removal by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
In the note sent to three- and four-star generals and senior Army leaders, George reflected on his 38 years of service and thanked colleagues for their “exceptional teamwork.”
“It has been the greatest privilege to serve beside you and lead Soldiers in support of our country,” George wrote.
He encouraged leaders to continue prioritizing warfighters and cutting through bureaucracy.
“I know you’ll all continue to stay laser-focused on the mission, continue innovating, and relentlessly cut through the bureaucracy to get our warfighters what they need,” he said.
George, who enlisted out of high school, said he remained in the Army for decades because of the people he served alongside.
“Our Soldiers are truly the best in the world,” he added. “They deserve tough training and courageous leaders of character.”
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this reporting.
3 hours ago
Downed US airman knows ‘we will come get you,’ former Army helicopter pilot says
A downed U.S. airman behind enemy lines would take comfort in knowing the military is deploying every available resource to bring them home, a former Army pilot said.
Amber Smith, a former deputy assistant to the secretary of defense, said elite combat search and rescue teams are trained for exactly this kind of high-risk mission.
“You know that the might of the U.S. military is behind you and is going to come get you,” Smith said on “The Big Weekend Show.” “They will move heaven and earth to find you.”
Smith said both pilots and rescue teams undergo intense survival, evasion, resistance and escape training designed to help them operate in hostile territory and avoid capture.
She noted that separation between crew members after ejection is common due to timing delays and wind conditions, which can carry them to different locations on the ground.
Smith also cautioned that even with U.S. air superiority, threats remain.
“A threat in a war environment is always going to exist,” she said, adding that Iran only needs limited success to create dangerous situations.
The comments come as the search continues for a missing weapons systems officer after an F-15E was shot down over Iran.
4 hours ago
Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi pitches ‘free Iran’ to US investors in Texas
Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi pitched the economic promise of a post-regime Iran during remarks to American business leaders in Texas, calling for a decisive end to the current government in T
