U.S. Pilot Rescued in Iran After Massive Operation as False Shootdown Videos Debunked

Overview

• The U.S. F-15E that went down over southwest Iran on Friday was shot down, and both crew ejected before a large search-and-rescue began.
• The second airman, recovered during a major push on Sunday, survived with serious injuries and is now being treated in Kuwait, according to President Trump.
• Trump said Monday the rescue used about 170 aircraft, including 64 fighter-bombers, 48 refuelers and 13 rescue planes, and he credited a CIA deception effort led by Director John Ratcliffe.
• The New York Times and CBS reported that two evacuation aircraft stuck at a remote Iranian strip were destroyed to prevent capture, while Iranian state media claimed multiple U.S. losses that Washington has not confirmed.
• AFP on Tuesday verified that viral clips of a helicopter shootdown and a crash photo came from Syria in 2020 and a Honduras training mishap in 2025, underscoring confusion after the first known U.S. aircraft loss on Iranian soil.