ADVERTISEMENT SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENTThe airman rescued by special operations forces, who Trump said was a colonel, was the weapons-systems officer on the downed F-15, a U.S. official told Reuters. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said several aircraft were destroyed during the U.S. rescue mission, Tasnim news agency reported. Had Iran captured the airman, the ensuing hostage crisis could have shifted American public perception of a conflict that opinion polls show was already unpopular. U.S. AIRCRAFT HITThe rescue effort, involving dozens of military aircraft, encountered fierce resistance from Iran. While Trump has repeatedly sought to portray the Iranian military as being in tatters, they have repeatedly been able to hit U.S. aircraft.

Source: The Standard April 05, 2026 19:28 UTC