Overview
- An Iranian missile downed a U.S. F‑15E over southern Iran, and while both crew members ejected safely, rescuers reached the pilot first and then recovered the injured weapons systems officer after roughly two days alone in the Zagros Mountains.
- The extraction used a large special-operations force with MC‑130 transport planes, helicopters, and close‑air support from A‑10s, as aircraft struck Iranian units that moved toward the hiding airman.
- U.S. and allied intelligence supported the hunt, with multiple outlets reporting a CIA deception effort that misdirected Iranian search teams and with Israeli intelligence sharing information for targeting and surveillance.
- Two MC‑130s that became stuck on a makeshift airstrip near Isfahan were destroyed on site to prevent capture, while separate claims of additional U.S. aircraft losses have been reported by media and Iranian state outlets but have not been confirmed by CENTCOM.
- Some officials and commentators tie the timing and location to a possible plan to seize enriched uranium near Isfahan, a theory reported by the Wall Street Journal and echoed by Iranian statements, though this link remains unverified in official channels.