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.
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If neither side can provide concrete evidence of him being in their custody, could the airman still be at large, waiting in the mountains somewhere to be rescued? I imagine he was exfil'd given the amount of resources expended to achieve that but anything the Trump admin says should be met with a massive amount of doubt.
Maybe retrieved but dead? That would be a failed rescue mission, but a successful recovery mission.