The CIA looked to throw off Iran’s government before the crew member was found, launching a deception campaign to spread word inside the Islamic Republic that the U.S. had already located him. The United States and Iran’s government then were both racing to find the second crew member, a weapons systems officer, whose location neither side knew. The confusion allowed the CIA time to uncover the location of the service member, who was hiding in a mountain crevice, the official said. The broadcaster said Iran had shot down a transport plane and two helicopters that were part of the rescue operation. A second US military jet also was downedTrump, however, did not mention that a second military jet also went down the same day as the F-15E.

Source: Ethiopian News April 05, 2026 18:03 UTC