The Iranians are drawing parallels between the US military operation to rescue the F-15E pilot and the 1980 failed American mission to rescue their Embassy staffers in Tehran. They have alleged that US President Donald Trump, who announced that the airman was “SAFE and SOUND” after he was rescued, is not admitting to his losses during the operation. Meanwhile, Iran has released images and a video of what it claimed to be the wreckage of several US aircraft downed during the American military operation to rescue the stranded crew member of the F-15E that was shot down in Iran.<h2>Iran claims several US aircraft downed</h2>Tehran’s military has said that two C-130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters were destroyed during the US operation in Isfahan. The US has not yet given any confirmation or statement regarding this. Although reports suggested that two US planes that were disabled during the operation were blown up by American troops to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands.The Iranian military said that the US military used an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan province during the operation to rescue the stranded pilot. In a statement, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for the military's central command, Khatam Al-Anbiya, said that “the so-called US military rescue operation, planned as a deception and escape mission at an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan under the pretext of recovering the pilot of a downed aircraft, was completely foiled.”Slain Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s X handle, which frequently posts his statements, has posted the image of the wreckage of a US aircraft in Tabas from the 1980 US operation alongside the fresh images of destroyed aircraft in Isfahan. Several Iranian Embassies, state media outlets, and others have made similar posts.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Americans once attacked here in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tabas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tabas</a>—remember!?—they wet themselves, turned back, and left! August 13, 2018<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a> <a href="https://t.co/xGnNJEBQJo">pic.twitter.com/xGnNJEBQJo</a>&mdash; Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) <a href="https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/status/2040716939295588647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Top: Wreckage of a U.S. aircraft in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tabas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tabas</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a> — 1980 Bottom: Wreckage of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/US?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#US</a> aircraft near <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Isfahan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Isfahan</a>, Iran — 2026 Different decades, same story.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%B7%D8%A8%D8%B32?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#طبس2</a> <a href="https://t.co/tTQS5LV0q0">pic.twitter.com/tTQS5LV0q0</a>&mdash; ☫ Iran Embassy in The Hague, The Netherlands (@IRAN_in_NL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IRAN_in_NL/status/2040728218408226968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>What happened during Operation Eagle Claw?</h2>Operation Eagle Claw remains a dark moment in American history and a stark reminder of failed negotiations by the US to free its hostages. On April 24, 1980, an ill-fated military operation ended the lives of eight US servicemen, who had gone to rescue the US Embassy staffers who were held captive in Iran.The Iran hostage crisis began on November 4, 1979, when as many as 3,000 militant students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 63 Americans hostage. Three other US diplomats were also captured at the Iranian Foreign Ministry. The incident took place two weeks after then-US president Jimmy Carter had given refuge to the deposed Iranian ruler, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, in the United States for his cancer treatment. The move was frowned upon by Iran’s new leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who called for the US to return Shah and demanded the end of Western influence in Iran.While 13 of the American hostages were returned by mid-November, 53 others were still kept in Iran for about five months due to failed negotiations under the Carter government. As the diplomacy saw no progress, Carter approved the military rescue operation on April 16, 1980. The complex two-day operation called for helicopters and C-130 aircraft to rendezvous on a salt flat in Tabas Desert (code-named Desert One) some 200 miles southeast of Tehran. It involved all four branches of the US armed forces, along with helicopters and C-130s, which would be used for refuelling.On April 19, the US forces started deploying across Oman and the Arabian Sea, with Operation Eagle Claw beginning on April 24. While the US Delta Force initially secured the Desert One landing zone, a passing bus on a nearby road made the operation complicated, and the ground forces detained over 40 Iranians to preserve operational security.Out of the eight of the RH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters that left the USS Nimitz, two encountered mechanical failure and could not continue. The entire operation was also hindered by a dust storm in the region that disrupted visibility. The six remaining helicopters managed to land at Desert One more than 90 minutes later than planned. While in Iran, another helicopter was also deemed unfit for service as it suffered a cracked rotor blade due to the sandstorm. The mission, which could not be accomplished by only five helicopters, was aborted. However, as the forces were leaving, a helicopter collided with a C-130 and exploded, destroying both aircraft. Five US Air Force personnel and three Marines were killed in the incident. The remaining troops were quickly evacuated by plane. The American forces left behind several helicopters, equipment, weapons, maps and the dead.Investigations later revealed that the operation had failed due to a lack of coordination between the military services. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had said that the mission had been stopped by an act of God. Meanwhile, Carter lost the 1980 US presidential elections. The hostages were released the day Ronald Reagan took office as the US president.Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.&nbsp;

Iran is comparing the US pilot rescue to the 1980 failed American mission, alleging that US President Donald Trump is not admitting his losses. What was Operation Eagle Claw? Scroll down to know all about it.

The Iranians are drawing parallels between the US military operation to rescue the F-15E pilot and the 1980 failed American mission to rescue their Embassy staffers in Tehran. They have alleged that US President Donald Trump, who announced that the airman was “SAFE and SOUND” after he was rescued, is not admitting to his losses during the operation. Meanwhile, Iran has released images and a video of what it claimed to be the wreckage of several US aircraft downed during the American military operation to rescue the stranded crew member of the F-15E that was shot down in Iran. Iran claims several US aircraft downed Tehran’s military has said that two C-130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters were destroyed during the US operation in Isfahan. The US has not yet given any confirmation or statement regarding this. Although reports suggested that two US planes that were disabled during the operation were blown up by American troops to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands. The Iranian military said that the US military used an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan province during the operation to rescue the stranded pilot. In a statement, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for the military's central command, Khatam Al-Anbiya, said that “the so-called US military rescue operation, planned as a deception and escape mission at an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan under the pretext of recovering the pilot of a downed aircraft, was completely foiled.” Slain Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s X handle, which frequently posts his statements, has posted the image of the wreckage of a US aircraft in Tabas from the 1980 US operation alongside the fresh images of destroyed aircraft in Isfahan. Several Iranian Embassies, state media outlets, and others have made similar posts.

Iran is comparing the US pilot rescue to the 1980 failed American mission, alleging that US President Donald Trump is not admitting his losses. What was Operation Eagle Claw? Scroll down to know all about it.

Iran likens US pilot rescue operation to 1980 failed American mission – What happened in Operation Eagle Claw?

A woman, who claimed that she is the mother of a fighter pilot who reportedly went missing since an F-15 jet of the US military was downed in Iran, has received a firm response from Iranian embassies in Pakistan and South Africa. They warned that her sons faced "more danger" under President Donald Trump than in Iranian custody.&nbsp;"Be sure your sons are more in danger with DJ Trump than in custody in Iran. Pray he's kept captive by Iran than found by US rescue teams! As Muslim and civilised Iranians, we know how to treat captives in custody with dignity and respect," the Iranian Embassy in Pakistan wrote.&nbsp;While the embassy in South Africa said: "In Iran, long before so-called humanitarian laws were written, the rights of POWs (prisoners of war) were already defined. We do not treat POWs like your savage allies, the Zionists. We have an Iranian civilization. We do not live like in the Stone Age, like America".&nbsp;The response by the embassies followed after the mother pleaded on social media saying, “Please keep the two F-15 pilots who were shot down in your prayers tonight. One of my sons is a fighter pilot, and I still haven't heard any news from him or his unit. My heart is heavy with worry. Please pray for all the pilots and their families.”<h2>Iran shoots down US military aircraft</h2>&nbsp;Iran claimed to have shot down two US military aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters on Friday. It is for the first time in more than 20 years that American fighter jets have been shot down by enemy fire.&nbsp;Iran shot down a US F15-E Strike Eagle fighter jet, after which US officials said a pilot was rescued while a search is still underway for a second service member.&nbsp;Iranian state media also said that Iranian defence forces also hit an A-10 Warthog attack aircraft of US that crashed in the Persian Gulf region.&nbsp;Footage released by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) showed US fighter jets being hit by surface-to-air missiles and appears to have been captured by optical and infrared (IR) sensors rather than a traditional radar-based tracking system.&nbsp;

The response by the embassies followed after the mother pleaded on social media saying, Please keep the two F-15 pilots who were shot down in your prayers tonight. One of my sons is a fighter pilot.

A woman, who claimed that she is the mother of a fighter pilot who reportedly went missing since an F-15 jet of the US military was downed in Iran, has received a firm response from Iranian embassies in Pakistan and South Africa. They warned that her sons faced "more danger" under President Donald Trump than in Iranian custody. "Be sure your sons are more in danger with DJ Trump than in custody in Iran. Pray he's kept captive by Iran than found by US rescue teams! As Muslim and civilised Iranians, we know how to treat captives in custody with dignity and respect," the Iranian Embassy in Pakistan wrote. While the embassy in South Africa said: "In Iran, long before so-called humanitarian laws were written, the rights of POWs (prisoners of war) were already defined. We do not treat POWs like your savage allies, the Zionists. We have an Iranian civilization. We do not live like in the Stone Age, like America". The response by the embassies followed after the mother pleaded on social media saying, “Please keep the two F-15 pilots who were shot down in your prayers tonight. One of my sons is a fighter pilot, and I still haven't heard any news from him or his unit. My heart is heavy with worry. Please pray for all the pilots and their families.” Iran shoots down US military aircraft Iran claimed to have shot down two US military aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters on Friday. It is for the first time in more than 20 years that American fighter jets have been shot down by enemy fire. Iran shot down a US F15-E Strike Eagle fighter jet, after which US officials said a pilot was rescued while a search is still underway for a second service member. Iranian state media also said that Iranian defence forces also hit an A-10 Warthog attack aircraft of US that crashed in the Persian Gulf region. Footage released by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) showed US fighter jets being hit by surface-to-air missiles and appears to have been captured by optical and infrared (IR) sensors rather than a traditional radar-based tracking system.

The response by the embassies followed after the mother pleaded on social media saying, “Please keep the two F-15 pilots who were shot down in your prayers tonight. One of my sons is a fighter pilot."

'Your sons under more danger with Trump': Iran replies to US woman's plea on social media

As Iranian and American forces race to locate a crew member of a US fighter jet that went down inside Iranian territory, military experts have shared insights on how fighter pilots are trained to survive behind enemy lines. This comes after Tehran said that it had shot down a US F-15 warplane. US media reports suggested that American special forces had rescued one of the two crew members, while the other was missing. So far, no information about the pilot has emerged as both nations continue to search.Retired US Air Force brigadier general Houston Cantwell, who is now at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told AFP that a pilot’s training, known as survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE), would kick in before he or she parachutes to the ground. He described that pilots are trained to assess their surroundings from the parachute after ejecting from an aircraft to identifying safe zones and potential threats. He added that landing itself can be dangerous and may even result in injuries such as fractures.“Your best view of where you may want to go or where you may want to avoid is while you're coming down in your parachute,” Cantwell said.Once on the ground, the pilot’s priority is survival. Upon landing, “take an inventory of yourself to figure out, what condition am I in? Can I even move? Am I even mobile?”“Try to avoid enemy capture, as long as you can,” Cantwell added. “And if I were in a desert environment, I’d want to try to find some water.”Cantwell detailed that movement is best carried out at night to reduce detection risk. He emphasised that concealment is key, as pilots aim to reach a location suitable for extraction, such as an open field or rooftop.“My priority would be, first of all, concealment, because I don’t want to be captured,” he said. “I want to try to get to a location where I can get extracted.”Retired master sergeant Scott Fales explained that rescue missions are meticulously planned even before flights begin. Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) teams are immediately activated, and intelligence from drones, satellites, and human sources is used to locate the downed aviator.Once a position is identified, rescue teams move quickly but cautiously, balancing threat levels and medical urgency. Upon reaching the pilot, they verify identity, assess injuries, and decide whether to provide on-site treatment or execute a rapid extraction. Despite the uncertainty, experts remain hopeful that the missing aviator will either evade capture or be safely recovered.Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.

After a US F-15 crash in Iran, experts explain how fighter pilots are trained to survive and hide until they are extracted by rescue teams behind enemy lines.

As Iranian and American forces race to locate a crew member of a US fighter jet that went down inside Iranian territory, military experts have shared insights on how fighter pilots are trained to survive behind enemy lines. This comes after Tehran said that it had shot down a US F-15 warplane. US media reports suggested that American special forces had rescued one of the two crew members, while the other was missing. So far, no information about the pilot has emerged as both nations continue to search. Retired US Air Force brigadier general Houston Cantwell, who is now at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told AFP that a pilot’s training, known as survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE), would kick in before he or she parachutes to the ground. He described that pilots are trained to assess their surroundings from the parachute after ejecting from an aircraft to identifying safe zones and potential threats. He added that landing itself can be dangerous and may even result in injuries such as fractures. “Your best view of where you may want to go or where you may want to avoid is while you're coming down in your parachute,” Cantwell said. Once on the ground, the pilot’s priority is survival. Upon landing, “take an inventory of yourself to figure out, what condition am I in? Can I even move? Am I even mobile?” “Try to avoid enemy capture, as long as you can,” Cantwell added. “And if I were in a desert environment, I’d want to try to find some water.” Cantwell detailed that movement is best carried out at night to reduce detection risk. He emphasised that concealment is key, as pilots aim to reach a location suitable for extraction, such as an open field or rooftop. “My priority would be, first of all, concealment, because I don’t want to be captured,” he said. “I want to try to get to a location where I can get extracted.” Retired master sergeant Scott Fales explained that rescue missions are meticulously planned even before flights begin. Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) teams are immediately activated, and intelligence from drones, satellites, and human sources is used to locate the downed aviator. Once a position is identified, rescue teams move quickly but cautiously, balancing threat levels and medical urgency. Upon reaching the pilot, they verify identity, assess injuries, and decide whether to provide on-site treatment or execute a rapid extraction. Despite the uncertainty, experts remain hopeful that the missing aviator will either evade capture or be safely recovered. Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.

After a US F-15 crash in Iran, experts explain how fighter pilots are trained to survive and hide until they are extracted by rescue teams behind enemy lines.

US F-15 crew member missing in Iran: How fighter pilots are trained to survive behind enemy lines

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Iran likens US pilot rescue operation to 1980 failed American mission – What happened in Operation Eagle Claw?

'Your sons under more danger with Trump': Iran replies to US woman's plea

US F-15 crew member missing in Iran: How pilots survive behind enemy lines