Overview
- U.S. special operations forces built a temporary forward arming and refueling point inside Iran to support a complex combat search‑and‑rescue that recovered an injured F‑15 weapons systems officer.
- Navy SEAL Team 6 reached the airman after more than a day of evasion in steep terrain, including a climb to a 7,000‑foot ridge line, before flying him out.
- Two MC‑130 special operations transports became stuck at the improvised strip and were destroyed by U.S. forces to deny Iran access, with imagery also showing small helicopters burned on site.
- An A‑10 that provided cover was hit by Iranian fire during the effort and later crashed outside Iranian airspace, with no U.S. fatalities reported beyond the rescued airman’s injuries.
- Open‑source imagery points to an abandoned airfield south of Isfahan as the site and recent Marine training on such refueling points underscores readiness, as analysts weigh the operation’s success against its costs.