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 it 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 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 shot downTrump, however, did not mention that a second military jet also went down the same day as the F-15E. An additional U.S. pilot was rescued but details were not available given the security concerns, another person familiar with the situation said.

Source: Huffington Post April 05, 2026 23:16 UTC