A mountain hideout and aircraft under fire: US carries out daring rescue of service member in Iran
The CIA attempted to throw off the Iranian government before the crew member was located and launched a deception campaign within the Islamic Republic to spread the news that the United States had located the man.
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Even as President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials described an almost cinematic mission, rescuers faced major obstacles, including two Black Hawk helicopters coming under fire and problems with two transport planes that forced the U.S. military to blow them up.
“For the first time in military memory, two US pilots were separately rescued deep in Enemy Territory,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform early Sunday. “WE WILL NOT LEAVE ANY AMERICAN WARRIOR BEHIND!”
US officials remained silent while the operation continued
In a pair of social media posts, Trump said the weekend operation required complete U.S. silence to prevent the effort from being compromised, even as the president and senior members of his administration constantly monitored the airman’s location.
The White House and Pentagon refused to publicly discuss details about the crashed fighter jet for more than 24 hours after the initial crash, particularly details regarding the first crew member rescued from the F-15E Strike Eagle; Trump later said the effort lasted seven hours in broad daylight over Iran.
The U.S. and Iranian governments were racing at the time to find the second crew member, a weapons systems officer, whose location was unknown to both sides. The CIA spread the word in Iran that the United States had found him and was moving him overland to get him out of the country, according to a senior Trump administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet publicly released.
The confusion gave the CIA time to uncover the location of the soldier hiding in a crevasse in the mountain, the official said.
Pennsylvania Republican Senator Dave McCormick, who told Fox News Sunday that he was briefed by a senior administration official involved in the operation, said he climbed 7,000 feet (2,133 meters) despite being injured.
The intelligence agency sent the airman’s coordinates to the Pentagon and the White House, ordering Trump’s rescue operation.
Also read: Iran issues stern warning to Trump
Iran calls on public to search for ‘enemy pilot’
Meanwhile, an announcer on a channel affiliated with Iranian state television was urging residents of the mountainous region of southwestern Iran where the warplane landed to hand over any “enemy pilots” to the police, promising a reward to anyone who did so.
Trump said American airmen were being “hunted” by enemies who were “getting closer by the hour.” He said the United States is constantly monitoring its position.
Trump said he instructed the military at the right time to send dozens of heavily armed planes to rescue the crew member, who the president said was “seriously injured” but would recover.
Iranian state media reported that airstrikes in southwestern Iran on Saturday killed at least three people and injured others in the area where the missing American crew member is believed to be located.
US rescue teams encounter obstacles with planes during operation
The American rescue mission encountered great difficulties behind enemy lines. Iran’s joint military command claimed that two US Black Hawk helicopters participating in the operation were shot down.
A person familiar with the situation said the two helicopters were able to get to safe airspace, but it was unclear whether they landed or whether crew members were injured. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.
The U.S. military had to bring in additional aircraft to complete the rescue of the second soldier due to a technical malfunction, according to a regional intelligence official briefed on the mission. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the secret mission, said the US blew up two transport planes it had to leave behind due to the accident.
Iranian state television on Sunday aired a video and photo of thick black smoke rising from what it claimed were parts of a US plane shot down by Iranian forces. The broadcaster said Iran shot down a transport plane and two helicopters as part of the rescue operation.
Iran’s joint military command said that there were two C-130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters on the plane destroyed in Isfahan province, where rescue efforts were carried out.
“The fact that we were able to carry out both of these operations without a single American being killed or even injured proves once again that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority in the skies over Iran,” Trump said on social media.
Also read: Israeli intelligence aided mission to rescue US airman in Iran, official says
A second US military jet was also shot down
However, Trump did not mention that a second military jet was shot down on the same day as the F-15E.
A US A-10 attack plane crashed after being shot down by Iranian defense forces, Iranian state media reported on Friday.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military situation, confirmed that a second Air Force fighter jet was shot down in the Middle East on Friday.
Another person familiar with the situation said another U.S. pilot was rescued, but details were not available due to safety concerns.
Neither gave further information, including whether it was an A-10.
