US special forces carried out a daring rescue mission to retrieve a weapons-system officer stranded in Iran after his F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down on Friday. The operation, which involved dozens of aircraft and elite troops, successfully recovered the airman from behind enemy lines.
The rescue was supported by the CIA, which helped locate the airman and conducted a deception campaign suggesting he had already been recovered. US forces used bombs and covering fire to keep Iranian troops away, while MQ-9 Reaper drones struck military-aged males deemed a threat within three kilometres of the airman.
President Donald Trump announced the successful recovery on Sunday, stating that no American casualties occurred during either rescue of the two crew members. The first pilot had been rescued earlier under fire. Trump also threatened to strike Iranian energy infrastructure as a deadline for Iran to make a deal approached.
Iran claimed to have shot down several US warplanes during the mission and said it used a new air-defence system. The US has not confirmed details of the operation, and Central Command has yet to comment.
