The US military operation to rescue the F-15E pilot that was shot down in Iran almost ended in a disaster before special forces managed to safely leave the Iranian territory with the injured airman. The high-risk mission took place deep inside the enemy territory as hundreds of American commandos scaled a 7,000‑foot ridge to extract the crew member who was stranded in Iran. US officials revealed that the mission that unfolded with near‑perfect precision nearly veered off course due to mechanical issues.According to a Reuters report, the plan included US forces infiltrating undetected and bringing the US pilot to a secret rendezvous point before dawn on Sunday. However, the two MC-130 aircraft, which had ferried some of the roughly 100 special forces personnel into rugged terrain south of Tehran, encountered a mechanical failure and could not take off. This risked the commandos being stuck behind enemy lines.A high-risk decision was then made by the commanders to fly additional aircraft into Iran and extract the group in waves. This meant that the US team had to wait for some hours before they were taken out of Iranian territory.“If there was a ‘holy s**t’ moment, that was it,” the official told Reuters, crediting quick decision-making for saving the day. ​The US troops destroyed disabled the MC‑130s and four additional helicopters inside Iran to prevent leaving sensitive equipment behind in enemy territory.<h2>US pilot’s ‘God is good’ message raised fears of capture</h2>Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Sunday (Apr 5) revealed that the United States was initially sceptical about a message from the stranded F-15E weapons system officer. In an interview following the rescue of the US pilot, Trump told Axios that the US was worried that the Iranians were playing a trick to lure US forces into a trap when they received a message from the serviceman stranded in Iran.The weapons system officer sent a short, unusual message over his radio after ejecting from the aircraft over Iran. Trump said that the US military had “beeping information” about his location. However, after his radio message, officials suspected he might have been captured and Iranians were “sending false signals” to try to lure U.S. forces into a trap.According to Trump, the pilot’s message on the radio “sounded like something a Muslim would say.” However, people who knew the officer said that it wasn’t an unusual phrase for the pilot and that he was a religious person.After it was confirmed that the pilot was alive and not captured by Iran, the rescue operation took place swiftly to locate him and bring him back.Trump said that around 200 troops from special operations units took part in the rescue mission. The officer hid in a crevice in the mountain for more than 24 hours to evade capture by the Iranians.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.

US commandos’ Iran rescue mission nearly failed after MC-130 aircraft malfunction left troops at risk behind enemy lines, but a high-risk extraction plan ensured safe evacuation of the injured pilot.

The US military operation to rescue the F-15E pilot that was shot down in Iran almost ended in a disaster before special forces managed to safely leave the Iranian territory with the injured airman. The high-risk mission took place deep inside the enemy territory as hundreds of American commandos scaled a 7,000‑foot ridge to extract the crew member who was stranded in Iran. US officials revealed that the mission that unfolded with near‑perfect precision nearly veered off course due to mechanical issues. According to a Reuters report, the plan included US forces infiltrating undetected and bringing the US pilot to a secret rendezvous point before dawn on Sunday. However, the two MC-130 aircraft, which had ferried some of the roughly 100 special forces personnel into rugged terrain south of Tehran, encountered a mechanical failure and could not take off. This risked the commandos being stuck behind enemy lines. A high-risk decision was then made by the commanders to fly additional aircraft into Iran and extract the group in waves. This meant that the US team had to wait for some hours before they were taken out of Iranian territory. “If there was a ‘holy s**t’ moment, that was it,” the official told Reuters, crediting quick decision-making for saving the day. The US troops destroyed disabled the MC‑130s and four additional helicopters inside Iran to prevent leaving sensitive equipment behind in enemy territory. US pilot’s ‘God is good’ message raised fears of capture Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Sunday (Apr 5) revealed that the United States was initially sceptical about a message from the stranded F-15E weapons system officer. In an interview following the rescue of the US pilot, Trump told Axios that the US was worried that the Iranians were playing a trick to lure US forces into a trap when they received a message from the serviceman stranded in Iran. The weapons system officer sent a short, unusual message over his radio after ejecting from the aircraft over Iran. Trump said that the US military had “beeping information” about his location. However, after his radio message, officials suspected he might have been captured and Iranians were “sending false signals” to try to lure U.S. forces into a trap. According to Trump, the pilot’s message on the radio “sounded like something a Muslim would say.” However, people who knew the officer said that it wasn’t an unusual phrase for the pilot and that he was a religious person. After it was confirmed that the pilot was alive and not captured by Iran, the rescue operation took place swiftly to locate him and bring him back. Trump said that around 200 troops from special operations units took part in the rescue mission. The officer hid in a crevice in the mountain for more than 24 hours to evade capture by the Iranians. 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.

US commandos’ Iran rescue mission nearly failed after MC-130 aircraft malfunction left troops at risk behind enemy lines, but a high-risk extraction plan ensured safe evacuation of the injured pilot.

‘Holy s**t moment’: How US operation to rescue F-15E pilot from Iran almost went wrong

US President Donald Trump on Sunday (Apr 5) said that the United States was initially sceptical about a message from the stranded F-15E weapons system officer, who was rescued from Iran after his aircraft went down in Iranian territory. This comes after Trump announced that the airman was “SAFE and SOUND” after he was recovered from Iran following “the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History.” The F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over southern Iran on Friday (Apr 3), the first such incident since the start of the war. While the first pilot was rescued by the US forces earlier, the second had remained missing behind the enemy lines as American and Iranian forces raced to locate him. Reportedly, the second crew member from the downed F-15E has been recovered after a “heavy firefight”.In an interview following the rescue of the US pilot, Trump told Axios that the US was worried that the Iranians were playing a trick to lure US forces into a trap when they received a message from the serviceman stranded in Iran.<h2>What did the US pilot say in his message?</h2>The weapons system officer sent a short, unusual message over his radio after ejecting from the aircraft over Iran. Trump said that the US military had “beeping information” about his location. However, after his radio message, officials suspected he might have been captured and Iranians were “sending false signals” to try to lure U.S. forces into a trap.According to a US defense official, the exact phrase from the airman was: “God is Good”. The same phrase was used by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on X after the US announced the successful rescue of the F-15E crew member.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">God is good.&mdash; Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/2040779298823659939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

According to Trump, the pilot’s message on the radio “sounded like something a Muslim would say.” However, people who knew the officer said that it wasn’t an unusual phrase for the pilot and that he was a religious person.“It was not completely clear early on, but we stuck with it and verified he was alive and not captured. And those who knew him said he is religious,” the official told Axios.After it was confirmed that the pilot was alive and not captured by Iran, the rescue operation took place swiftly to locate him and bring him back.<h2>How was US pilot rescued?</h2>Trump said that around 200 troops from special operations units took part in the rescue mission. The officer hid in a crevice in the mountain for more than 24 hours to evade capture by the Iranians.According to a New York Times report, hundreds of special forces troops and dozens of US warplanes, helicopters, and cyber, space and other intelligence capabilities were employed to save the crew member. The US forces had a firefight with Iranian convoys. The report added that two transport planes that would carry the commandos and the airmen to safety got stuck at a remote base in Iran, following which they decided to fly three new planes to extract all the US military personnel and the airmen. They blew up the two disabled planes to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands. 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.

US President Donald Trump said the US initially feared a trap after the downed F-15E officer’s three-word radio message in Iran. However, later it was verified that he was alive and not captured.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday (Apr 5) said that the United States was initially sceptical about a message from the stranded F-15E weapons system officer, who was rescued from Iran after his aircraft went down in Iranian territory. This comes after Trump announced that the airman was “SAFE and SOUND” after he was recovered from Iran following “the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History.” The F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over southern Iran on Friday (Apr 3), the first such incident since the start of the war. While the first pilot was rescued by the US forces earlier, the second had remained missing behind the enemy lines as American and Iranian forces raced to locate him. Reportedly, the second crew member from the downed F-15E has been recovered after a “heavy firefight”. In an interview following the rescue of the US pilot, Trump told Axios that the US was worried that the Iranians were playing a trick to lure US forces into a trap when they received a message from the serviceman stranded in Iran. What did the US pilot say in his message? The weapons system officer sent a short, unusual message over his radio after ejecting from the aircraft over Iran. Trump said that the US military had “beeping information” about his location. However, after his radio message, officials suspected he might have been captured and Iranians were “sending false signals” to try to lure U.S. forces into a trap. According to a US defense official, the exact phrase from the airman was: “God is Good”. The same phrase was used by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on X after the US announced the successful rescue of the F-15E crew member.

US President Donald Trump said the US initially feared a trap after the downed F-15E officer’s three-word radio message in Iran. However, later it was verified that he was alive and not captured.

Trump reveals US pilot’s 3-word radio message that sparked fears of Iranian trap — What did he say?

The weapons systems officer, who was stranded behind enemy lines after his F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down inside Iran, used all survival and evasion techniques to avoid being captured by Iranian forces closing on him. The injured airman hid in a mountain crevice behind enemy lines and kept moving to avoid capture by charging Iranian forces. At one point, he scaled to over 7,000 feet above sea level in the rugged terrain to evade capture, when all that he had with him was a pistol, a communication device, and a tracking beacon. His agonising wait for being rescued ended when a team of American commandos located him and brought him to safety. All this while, US aircraft kept dropping bombs to clear the area and deter moving Iranian forces.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-s-defence-minister-khawaja-asif-warns-of-striking-kolkata-in-future-conflict-with-india-1775326150284">Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif warns of striking Kolkata in future conflict with India</a>&nbsp;As per local reports, even civilians had joined search efforts after authorities announced rewards for the capture of the US airman.&nbsp;Two US officials told CNN that the risky rescue operation involved American military and intelligence personnel. The special operations forces carried out the successful rescue mission, even as CIA operatives mounted a deception campaign beforehand to throw off potential Iranian captors.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-says-its-new-air-defence-system-helped-down-us-jets-was-it-majid-verba-or-hq-9b-1775318968899">Iran says its new air defence system helped down US jets. Was it Majid, Verba or HQ-9B?</a>&nbsp;CIA operatives circulated the information inside Iran that both crew members had been recovered to confuse Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members who were frantically themselves looking to capture the downed officer.&nbsp;Navy SEAL Team 6 commandos extracted the ejected US F-15E pilot from Iran, said a New York Times report, though there was no confirmation from the US authorities.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Israel postponed some planned strikes in Iran to ensure a smooth search and rescue operation besides offering intelligence support.The CIA ultimately identified the officer’s exact location and shared the information with the military.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/downgrade-from-regime-change-to-find-our-pilots-iran-s-speaker-mohammad-bagher-ghalibaf-mocks-us-over-downed-jet-1775237385567">Downgrade from ‘regime change’ to ‘find our pilots’: Iran’s speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocks US over downed jet</a>&nbsp;Meanwhile, at a remote airstrip in Iran, two MC-130J special operations transport aircraft had been waiting to take the commandos and the rescued airman out of the country. But they had been damaged during the operation.The military decided to send in new planes and blew up the damaged ones to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/-india-can-t-buy-oil-without-trump-s-permission-pm-is-compromised-says-rahul-gandhi-1775386849478">‘India can’t buy oil without Trump’s permission, PM is compromised,’ says Rahul Gandhi</a>&nbsp;“WE GOT HIM!” President Trump wrote on social media after spending Saturday monitoring the operation from the White House. “Over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History,” he said.&nbsp;All through the rescue mission, Trump had been in the West Wing, moving between the Oval Office and its adjacent dining room to receive updates on the officer’s rescue.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The risky rescue operation involved American military and intelligence personnel. The special operations forces carried out the successful rescue mission, even as CIA operatives mounted a deception campaign beforehand to throw off potential Iranian captors.

The weapons systems officer, who was stranded behind enemy lines after his F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down inside Iran, used all survival and evasion techniques to avoid being captured by Iranian forces closing on him. The injured airman hid in a mountain crevice behind enemy lines and kept moving to avoid capture by charging Iranian forces. At one point, he scaled to over 7,000 feet above sea level in the rugged terrain to evade capture, when all that he had with him was a pistol, a communication device, and a tracking beacon. His agonising wait for being rescued ended when a team of American commandos located him and brought him to safety. All this while, US aircraft kept dropping bombs to clear the area and deter moving Iranian forces. Also Read: Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif warns of striking Kolkata in future conflict with India As per local reports, even civilians had joined search efforts after authorities announced rewards for the capture of the US airman. Two US officials told CNN that the risky rescue operation involved American military and intelligence personnel. The special operations forces carried out the successful rescue mission, even as CIA operatives mounted a deception campaign beforehand to throw off potential Iranian captors. Also Read: Iran says its new air defence system helped down US jets. Was it Majid, Verba or HQ-9B? CIA operatives circulated the information inside Iran that both crew members had been recovered to confuse Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members who were frantically themselves looking to capture the downed officer. Navy SEAL Team 6 commandos extracted the ejected US F-15E pilot from Iran, said a New York Times report, though there was no confirmation from the US authorities. Meanwhile, Israel postponed some planned strikes in Iran to ensure a smooth search and rescue operation besides offering intelligence support. The CIA ultimately identified the officer’s exact location and shared the information with the military. Also Read: Downgrade from ‘regime change’ to ‘find our pilots’: Iran’s speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocks US over downed jet Meanwhile, at a remote airstrip in Iran, two MC-130J special operations transport aircraft had been waiting to take the commandos and the rescued airman out of the country. But they had been damaged during the operation. The military decided to send in new planes and blew up the damaged ones to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands. Also Read: ‘India can’t buy oil without Trump’s permission, PM is compromised,’ says Rahul Gandhi “WE GOT HIM!” President Trump wrote on social media after spending Saturday monitoring the operation from the White House. “Over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History,” he said. All through the rescue mission, Trump had been in the West Wing, moving between the Oval Office and its adjacent dining room to receive updates on the officer’s rescue.

The risky rescue operation involved American military and intelligence personnel. The special operations forces carried out the successful rescue mission, even as CIA operatives mounted a deception campaign beforehand to throw off potential Iranian captors.

Stranded US pilot climbed up to 7,000ft for safety, hid in a crevice to survive 24 hours in hostile Iranian terrain

Iran released images claiming US aircraft were destroyed during an F-15E rescue mission, while Donald Trump said the pilot was safely recovered with no US casualties.

PICS | Iran releases images of US aircraft ‘destroyed’ during rescue mission

Iranian military on Sunday (Apr 5) said that the US military used an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan province during the operation to rescue the stranded crew member of the F-15E that was shot down in its territory. In a statement, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for the military's central command, Khatam Al-Anbiya, claimed that the US rescue operation was “completely foiled”. Iran has also released images claiming to be the wreckage of several US aircraft that were downed during the rescue mission. This comes after US President Donald Trump confirmed that the airman was “SAFE and SOUND” after he was recovered from Iran following “the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History.”“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,” Zolfaghari said.<h2>Iran claims several US aircraft shot down</h2>He added that “two C-130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters were destroyed” during the operation.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by Tasnim news ​agency that several aircraft were destroyed during the US mission to locate the stranded pilot. Earlier, Iran’s police command announced that an American C-130 plane had been downed in the south of Isfahan.The F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over southern Iran on Friday (Apr 3), the first such incident since the start of the war. While the first pilot was rescued by the US forces earlier, the second had remained missing behind the enemy lines as American and Iranian forces raced to locate him. Reports suggested that the second crew member from the downed F-15E has been recovered after a “heavy firefight”.<h2>How was US pilot rescued from Iran?</h2>According to a New York Times report, hundreds of special forces troops and dozens of US warplanes, helicopters, and cyber, space and other intelligence capabilities were employed to save the crew member. The US forces had a firefight with Iranian convoys. The report added that two transport planes that would carry the commandos and the airmen to safety got stuck at a remote base in Iran, following which they decided to fly three new planes to extract all the US military personnel and the airmen. They blew up the two disabled planes to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands.Trump said that while the pilot had sustained injuries, there were no US casualties in the rescue operation. Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that overnight strikes in the Kouh-e Siah area in southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province during the US rescue mission killed five people.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.

Iran said that the US used an abandoned airport in Isfahan in the operation to rescue an F-15E pilot, while claiming that it had foiled the American operation and downed multiple aircraft. This comes after US President Donald Trump said that the airman was rescued safely.

Iranian military on Sunday (Apr 5) said that the US military used an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan province during the operation to rescue the stranded crew member of the F-15E that was shot down in its territory. In a statement, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for the military's central command, Khatam Al-Anbiya, claimed that the US rescue operation was “completely foiled”. Iran has also released images claiming to be the wreckage of several US aircraft that were downed during the rescue mission. This comes after US President Donald Trump confirmed that the airman was “SAFE and SOUND” after he was recovered from Iran following “the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History.” “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,” Zolfaghari said. Iran claims several US aircraft shot down He added that “two C-130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters were destroyed” during the operation. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by Tasnim news agency that several aircraft were destroyed during the US mission to locate the stranded pilot. Earlier, Iran’s police command announced that an American C-130 plane had been downed in the south of Isfahan. The F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over southern Iran on Friday (Apr 3), the first such incident since the start of the war. While the first pilot was rescued by the US forces earlier, the second had remained missing behind the enemy lines as American and Iranian forces raced to locate him. Reports suggested that the second crew member from the downed F-15E has been recovered after a “heavy firefight”. How was US pilot rescued from Iran? According to a New York Times report, hundreds of special forces troops and dozens of US warplanes, helicopters, and cyber, space and other intelligence capabilities were employed to save the crew member. The US forces had a firefight with Iranian convoys. The report added that two transport planes that would carry the commandos and the airmen to safety got stuck at a remote base in Iran, following which they decided to fly three new planes to extract all the US military personnel and the airmen. They blew up the two disabled planes to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands. Trump said that while the pilot had sustained injuries, there were no US casualties in the rescue operation. Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that overnight strikes in the Kouh-e Siah area in southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province during the US rescue mission killed five people. 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.

Iran said that the US used an abandoned airport in Isfahan in the operation to rescue an F-15E pilot, while claiming that it had foiled the American operation and downed multiple aircraft. This comes after US President Donald Trump said that the airman was rescued safely.

‘US op was completely foiled’: Iran’s military says Americans used abandoned airport in Isfahan to rescue F-15E pilot

Iranian state media on Sunday (Apr 5) released the first footage 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. This comes after US President Donald Trump confirmed that the airman was “SAFE and SOUND” after he was recovered from Iran following “the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History.” The F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over southern Iran on Friday (Apr 3), the first such incident since the start of the war. While the first pilot was rescued by the US forces earlier, the second had remained missing behind the enemy lines as American and Iranian forces raced to locate him. Reports suggested that the second crew member from the downed F-15E has been recovered after a “heavy firefight”.Following the rescue operation, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by Tasnim news ​agency that several aircraft were destroyed during the US mission to locate the stranded pilot. Earlier, Iran’s police command announced that an American C-130 plane had been downed in the south of Isfahan.“During a joint operation (Aerospace, Ground ⁠Force, Popular Units, Basij ​and Police command), enemy aircraft ​were destroyed,” IRGC said.According to the spokesperson ⁠of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified command of the Iranian armed forces, the downed US aircraft included a C-130 military transport plane and two ​Black ⁠Hawk helicopters. Meanwhile, Iran’s army said that it had shot down an Israeli drone in the same province.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Iranian media release video claiming to show destroyed US aircraft involved in the rescue operation for a downed pilot in southern Isfahan <a href="https://t.co/zQm8PcYI3r">pic.twitter.com/zQm8PcYI3r</a>&mdash; WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/2040706574650683735?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>‘Miraculous’ rescue operation</h2>Trump said that while the pilot had sustained injuries, there were no US casualties in the rescue operation. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said, “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. At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him.”Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that overnight strikes in the Kouh-e Siah area in southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province during the US rescue mission killed five people.<h2>How was US pilot rescued from Iran?</h2>According to a New York Times report, hundreds of special forces troops and dozens of US warplanes, helicopters, and cyber, space and other intelligence capabilities were employed to save the crew member. The US forces had a firefight with Iranian convoys. The report added that two transport planes that would carry the commandos and the airmen to safety got stuck at a remote base in Iran, following which they decided to fly three new planes to extract all the US military personnel and the airmen. They blew up the two disabled planes to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands. 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 released footage claiming multiple US aircraft were downed during an F-15E pilot rescue, while US President Donald Trump said the airman was safe after a ‘miraculous’ operation and no US casualties occurred.

Iranian state media on Sunday (Apr 5) released the first footage 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. This comes after US President Donald Trump confirmed that the airman was “SAFE and SOUND” after he was recovered from Iran following “the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History.” The F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over southern Iran on Friday (Apr 3), the first such incident since the start of the war. While the first pilot was rescued by the US forces earlier, the second had remained missing behind the enemy lines as American and Iranian forces raced to locate him. Reports suggested that the second crew member from the downed F-15E has been recovered after a “heavy firefight”. Following the rescue operation, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by Tasnim news agency that several aircraft were destroyed during the US mission to locate the stranded pilot. Earlier, Iran’s police command announced that an American C-130 plane had been downed in the south of Isfahan. “During a joint operation (Aerospace, Ground ⁠Force, Popular Units, Basij and Police command), enemy aircraft were destroyed,” IRGC said. According to the spokesperson ⁠of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified command of the Iranian armed forces, the downed US aircraft included a C-130 military transport plane and two Black ⁠Hawk helicopters. Meanwhile, Iran’s army said that it had shot down an Israeli drone in the same province.

Iran released footage claiming multiple US aircraft were downed during an F-15E pilot rescue, while US President Donald Trump said the airman was safe after a ‘miraculous’ operation and no US casualties occurred.

WATCH | Iran releases first footage claiming US aircraft downed during rescue operation

The Iranian Consulate in Najaf, Iraq, on Sunday (Apr 5) posted a video on social media of what it claimed to be the video of Iran’s police shooting down an American aircraft during the operation to rescue the F-15E crew member from Iran after his fighter jet was downed in the Iranian territory. The Consulate also slammed US President Donald Trump, saying that he is boasting about the operation without mentioning the losses incurred in the process. This comes after Trump announced the US pilot was “SAFE and SOUND” after he was recovered from Iran following “the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History.”In a post on X, the Iranian Consulate wrote, “The enemies of Islam are always ‘wandering blindly in their rebellion.’ On the third day of the war, he was boasting that he had destroyed the air defenses of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and on the thirty-sixth day of the war, he boasts about a rescue operation for the pilot of his fighter jet that was shot down, without mentioning the losses he incurred in the process.” Sharing a video of an aircraft on fire falling down from the sky, the Consulate wrote, “Image from the ‘Rescue Operation’ carried out by the Americans in Iran. Don’t be mistaken; what is being dropped belongs to the army of the American terrorists.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">صورة من «عملية الإنقاذ» التي قام بها الأمريكيون في إيران لا تَخطئوا؛ ما يتم إسقاطه يعود لجيش الإرهابيين الأمريكيين😁 <a href="https://t.co/PB0aq4u3ap">https://t.co/PB0aq4u3ap</a> <a href="https://t.co/B1ziJztUjB">pic.twitter.com/B1ziJztUjB</a>&mdash; Iranian Consulate in Najaf (@IraninNajaf) <a href="https://twitter.com/IraninNajaf/status/2040654478882267290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In another post, the Iranian Consulate in Najaf mocked the US, saying that it was a record in history that Iran’s “police” shot down an American aircraft with a personal weapon.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards earlier claimed that a US aircraft, which had been searching for the missing American F-15E fighter jet crew member, had been destroyed, as reported by Iranian media. Iran’s police command said that the downed US aircraft in Isfahan was a C-130 used to refuel “invaders”.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.

The Iranian consulate shared a video claiming a US aircraft was shot down during an F-15E pilot rescue, mocking Donald Trump for ignoring losses after declaring the pilot safe.

The Iranian Consulate in Najaf, Iraq, on Sunday (Apr 5) posted a video on social media of what it claimed to be the video of Iran’s police shooting down an American aircraft during the operation to rescue the F-15E crew member from Iran after his fighter jet was downed in the Iranian territory. The Consulate also slammed US President Donald Trump, saying that he is boasting about the operation without mentioning the losses incurred in the process. This comes after Trump announced the US pilot was “SAFE and SOUND” after he was recovered from Iran following “the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History.” In a post on X, the Iranian Consulate wrote, “The enemies of Islam are always ‘wandering blindly in their rebellion.’ On the third day of the war, he was boasting that he had destroyed the air defenses of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and on the thirty-sixth day of the war, he boasts about a rescue operation for the pilot of his fighter jet that was shot down, without mentioning the losses he incurred in the process.” Sharing a video of an aircraft on fire falling down from the sky, the Consulate wrote, “Image from the ‘Rescue Operation’ carried out by the Americans in Iran. Don’t be mistaken; what is being dropped belongs to the army of the American terrorists.”

The Iranian consulate shared a video claiming a US aircraft was shot down during an F-15E pilot rescue, mocking Donald Trump for ignoring losses after declaring the pilot safe.

‘Trump boasts without mentioning losses’: Iranian Consulate in Iraq posts video of alleged US crash during rescue op – WATCH

US forces carried out a “miraculous” rescue of a downed F-15E pilot in Iran, involving hundreds of special operations troops, dozens of aircraft, helicopters, bombs, and intelligence assets. The pilot, hiding in mountainous terrain with local shelter, is now safe. CIA supported the mission

Inside 'most daring' US ops to rescue downed pilot from Iran: CIA's help, special troops, dozens of warplanes and ground support

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Iranian Consulate posts video of alleged US crash during rescue op – WATCH

Inside 'most daring' US ops to rescue downed pilot from Iran