Did US try to steal uranium in Iran under guise of F-15 pilot rescue mission, 170 plane operation raises questions

Iran claimed Monday that the United States used a mission to rescue the crew of a downed F-15E fighter jet as cover for a covert attempt to “steal enriched uranium,” raising questions about the real target of the high-risk operation on Iranian soil. The accusation came as US President Donald Trump said the mission successfully rescued the stranded crew member and described it as one of the most daring operations in US history, with Washington suggesting it was a sophisticated, intelligence-driven extraction.

At the White House briefing, Trump said 21 planes were deployed in the operation to rescue the first crew member, while a much larger force of 155 planes was used in the second rescue mission. The operation involved 4 bombers, 64 fighter planes, 48 ​​refueling tankers and 13 rescue planes.

The US government stated that the MC-130 Commando II transport aircraft became immobile in the sand during the mission and was subsequently destroyed.

F-15E Strike Eagle shot down over Iran on April 3, 2026; this was the first US-crewed aircraft lost on Iranian soil during the ongoing conflict between Iran, the US and Israel, which is now in its second month.

Both crews were evacuated safely, but the weapons systems officer, a colonel, was injured and stranded in the Zagros Mountains for approximately 48 hours before being rescued. Trump reiterated the successful rescue of the missing crew member earlier in the day.

Iran described the operation as deception

The Iranian military rejected the US account, calling the mission a “mission of deception and evasion” and insisting it was “completely thwarted”. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said there were “many questions and uncertainties” about the operation.
Baqaei questioned the reported rescue location, stating that the area in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province was far from where US forces allegedly attempted to land in central Iran. He added that the possibility that the operation was a cover for extracting enriched uranium “should not be ignored.” Iranian officials also claimed that the US subjected the crashed jet to heavy bombardment, claiming that many US planes were shot down during the mission and had to make an emergency landing in Isfahan province.

US talks about intelligence-based extraction and deception tactics

U.S. officials have maintained that the mission was a complex, intelligence-driven rescue effort. According to NBC News, the Central Intelligence Agency conducted a covert “deception campaign” to mislead Iranian forces in locating the missing crew member.

A senior U.S. official said that although Iranian forces were “confused and uncertain,” the agency used its capabilities to find and rescue the stranded American.

(With input from institutions)