Iran reports destroying US aircraft during failed rescue operation, while Washington says pilot was successfully retrieved in complex mission. Key Developments Iran says US rescue mission failed, multiple aircraft destroyed near Isfahan. US officials say missing F-15 crew member was successfully recovered. Conflicting accounts emerge over scale and outcome of rescue operation. Iran Claims Rescue Operation Was Thwarted Iranian Armed Forces said on Sunday that they had foiled a US attempt to rescue a downed pilot, destroying multiple aircraft south of Isfahan in central Iran, according to Tasnim news agency.
A spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said the operation targeted US aircraft involved in an infiltration mission to extract a pilot whose fighter jet had been shot down earlier.
The spokesperson said Iranian forces—including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the army, Basij units, and law enforcement—carried out a coordinated response that resulted in the destruction of several aircraft, including two Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 military transport plane.
The statement described the outcome as a “failure” for the United States, drawing comparisons to the 1980 Operation Eagle Claw.
The IRGC added that its air defenses also shot down an MQ-9 drone over Isfahan, adding that four similar drones had been downed in the province over the past five days.
Iranian military officials said the total number of drones downed since the start of the war has reached 162, reflecting what they described as growing control over national airspace.
Tasnim also reported that US forces had carried out strikes in Kohgiluyeh province after failing to locate the missing pilot.
Iranian authorities called on civilians to assist in locating the pilot, who they said remained missing.
US Says Pilot Rescued in Large-Scale Operation In contrast, US officials told CBS News that the missing crew member from the downed F-15E fighter jet was successfully rescued early Sunday.
According to CBS, the operation involved dozens of aircraft and special operations forces, who located the pilot using a tracking beacon.
US President Donald Trump claimed on his Truth social account that the crew member had been retrieved in “one of the most daring” operations conducted by US forces.
US officials said the pilot sustained injuries but was in stable condition.
They added that during earlier rescue attempts, a US helicopter came under fire, injuring some crew members, while an A-10 aircraft involved in the mission was also hit, forcing the pilot to eject before being recovered.
Reading comprehension? Iran says they do not have the pilot and are looking to find him.
Jeez, you expect me to read all the way down to 2/3 of the way through the article?! I mean, I get that OP made it easy for me by pasting it into the post body, but still…!
So you invented information on a topic about which you didn’t read even a remotely related sentence. And then chose to challenge your own made-up story. You are on a path to get manipulated for the rest of your life. I recommend for you to learn processing information accurately and critically reflecting on it.
That was my way of attempting to humorously acknowledge my mistake. Would you prefer if I’d tried to double-down instead, like most people do?
My apologies, I missed that. 5 years ago I might have assumed better, but people’s attention span has decreased so much that I thought you were serious from other similar exchanges. My bad.