Details have emerged of how a U.S. weapons systems officer who went missing after his aircraft was downed in Iran was successfully rescued following a complex military operation.
The officer, a colonel, ejected alongside the pilot when their F-15E Strike Eagle was hit early Friday in southwestern Iran.
He reportedly survived for nearly 48 hours behind enemy lines, taking cover on elevated terrain after climbing several thousand feet up a ridge.
During that period, the officer is believed to have used either an encrypted communication device or a locator beacon, enabling U.S. forces to determine his position.
Hundreds of American personnel were involved in the recovery mission, including elite special operations units and air assets from multiple branches of the military.
According to a senior official, there was no direct firefight with Iranian forces, although U.S. troops fired weapons to deter approaching personnel from the extraction site.
U.S. intelligence agencies also played a key role in the operation.
Officials said the Central Intelligence Agency carried out a deception effort inside Iran, spreading information that the missing officer had already been located and was being moved for extraction.
The move was aimed at creating confusion among Iranian forces while intelligence assets worked to pinpoint the officer’s location.
Described as a highly challenging search, officials said the officer had concealed himself within mountainous terrain, making detection difficult.
Once the location was confirmed, the CIA relayed the information to the Pentagon and the White House.
President Donald Trump subsequently authorized an immediate rescue operation, which was carried out by U.S. Central Command with real-time intelligence support.
The officer was recovered safely, officials confirmed.
How US missing pilot in Iran was rescued
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