How US Commandos Pulled Off Rescue Deep Inside Iran

An American airman spent nearly two days hiding in an Iranian mountain crevice before a US commando raid fought its way in to pull him out, 200 miles inside the country, the Wall Street Journal reports in a behind-the-scenes look at the operation. The unidentified officer, the back-seat weapons-systems officer on an F-15E Strike Eagle downed Friday, radioed "God is good" after reaching high ground—prompting initial fears in Washington that the message was a trap. As Iranian forces, militias, helicopters, and drones closed in, US leaders rushed to launch an operation they had long war-gamed but hoped to avoid.

Officials say roughly 100 special-operations troops, a swarm of US aircraft, and a CIA deception campaign were ultimately marshaled for the rescue; the airman was located via an emergency beacon he activated, reports the New York Times in another deep dive into the rescue. Early attempts faltered under ground fire and landing gear that got stuck in the airstrip's sandy dirt and couldn't be freed, as Reaper drones and B-1 bombers hit Iranian forces racing toward the search area. Iran had offered a bounty of more than $66,000 if the airman was captured alive, the BBC reports. The CIA helped locate the airman "needle in a haystack"-style, per the Journal, and spread false word he was being moved overland. US commandos scaled a 7,000-foot ridge to get to the airman, CNBC reports in its own detailed look at the rescue operation.

Ultimately, three smaller planes got specialized teams to the area. After the landing gear incident, those aircraft carried out all the US forces in waves, per CNBC, meaning some had to wait for hours for rescue. The disabled aircraft were left behind and destroyed to avoid Iran getting a hold of sensitive military tech. President Trump, who approved the mission after being briefed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, later posted "WE GOT HIM!" and has been touting the operation as an "Easter miracle." The airman, who had only a handgun to defend himself with before he was rescued, reportedly suffered a sprained ankle.