President Trump said he expects a deal with Iran by Monday. He also said the US has sent many weapons to protesters through the Kurdish forces. That takes us to today’s daring rescue of the weapons officer on the downed F-15E.
A US airman stranded in Iran’s mountains for 36 hours was rescued thanks to a CIA-led deception campaign and a daring military operation that thwarted Iranian efforts to locate him.
The CIA campaign involved spreading word inside Iran that US forces had already found him and were moving him overland for exfiltration, confusing Iranian forces and leadership in their own search for the missing airman.
While Iranian forces grappled with misinformation, US intelligence was able to aid in locating the airman in Iran and assist in a US special forces extraction mission.
US Forces Fired Weapons to Protect the Rescue Operation
Hundreds of American service members were involved in the rescue of a downed U.S. weapons systems officer in Iran. The operation did not involve a firefight between U.S. and Iranian forces, according to a senior official, but U.S. forces did fire weapons to keep Iranian personnel away from the rescue site.
The rescue followed a 48-hour high-risk search-and-rescue mission. Dozens of US aircraft, including combat search-and-rescue helicopters, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and transport planes, were deployed.
As US commandos approached, Iranian ground forces opened fire, marking a rare confirmed ground engagement between US special forces and Iranian troops inside Iranian territory.
MQ-9 drones established a lethal perimeter, authorized to strike within 3 km to prevent encirclement.
Iranian state media claimed to have destroyed two Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 transport during the operation. US reports indicated some aircraft were damaged or destroyed on the ground to prevent capture.
There were no U.S. casualties among the rescue team, Mr. Trump said. All the commandos and the weapons officer returned safely, a senior U.S. military official said. Rescue planes flew the injured airman to Kuwait for medical treatment.
WSO was extracted, injured but alive, and flown to Kuwait for medical treatment. No US fatalities were reported in the final extraction.
IRGC found Basij bodies in southwest Iran mountains after clash with US search-and-rescue forces hunting the downed F-15E WSO. Firefight reported near Dehdasht/Black Mountain; both US crew now rescued. pic.twitter.com/HdwnFzhWR4
— HojeNaGazetaDoMundoMilitar (@HojenoGMM) April 5, 2026