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CIA deception, gunfire and hundreds of troops rescue US airman in Iran

After Iran downed a US F-15E, the CIA used a deception campaign and unique agency technology to locate a wounded weapons officer who evaded Iranian forces for over 24 hours, then hundreds of US special operations personnel extracted him under covering strikes and flew him to Kuwait for treatment.

Apr 6th 2026 · Iran

Insights

  • An F-15E was downed over Iran and two crew ejected, with the pilot rescued first and the weapons officer initially missing.
  • The CIA ran a deception plan and used agency-specific technology to locate the wounded weapons officer.
  • The airman evaded capture for more than 24 hours, hiking to a 7,000-foot ridgeline and hiding in a crevice while injured.
  • Hundreds of special operations troops and other military personnel carried out the extraction, supported by US aircraft that struck the area to keep Iranian forces away.
  • Commandos fired to protect the rescue but did not engage in a reported direct firefight with Iranian forces.
  • The recovered officer was flown to Kuwait for medical treatment and President Donald Trump publicly announced and praised the operation.

Sources