CIA runs ‘deception campaign’ to fool Iran in high-risk rescue mission

The operation followed the reported downing of a U.S. Air Force F-15 over Iran’s Khuzestan province on April 3, 2026.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

U.S. forces carried out a high-risk rescue operation deep inside Iran to extract a wounded F-15 crew member, with President Trump describing the mission as a major success after intelligence and special operations units located and retrieved the officer before Iranian forces could reach him.

U.S. officials initially feared a distress signal from the airman could be an Iranian trap, particularly after a brief and unusual radio transmission raised concerns the officer had been captured.

According to U.S. officials, the CIA intercepted the signal and launched a deception campaign, spreading false information that the missing airman had already been located and was being evacuated elsewhere.

The agency then used advanced technical capabilities to confirm the officer’s location, relaying intelligence to the Pentagon and White House.

“Within eight hours, we had planes in motion,” a source said. “Within almost 12 hours we were on the ground in Iran.”

The operation followed the reported downing of a U.S. Air Force F-15 over Iran’s Khuzestan province on April 3, 2026, forcing both crew members to eject behind enemy lines.

The pilot was recovered earlier in a separate daylight mission under fire, while the second crew member, a weapons systems officer, remained stranded in mountainous terrain for more than 24 hours while injured.

Trump announced the outcome Saturday night, calling it “one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History,” and added Sunday, “We got him!”

“We have rescued the seriously wounded, and really brave, F-15 Crew Member/Officer, from deep inside the mountains of Iran,” Trump wrote. “An AMAZING show of bravery and talent by all!”

Approximately 200 U.S. special operations troops took part in the rescue conducted Saturday, as Iranian forces actively searched for the airman and offered incentives for his capture.

U.S. forces used MQ-9 Reaper drones and multiple large-scale airstrikes, including B-1 bombers and tactical jets, to secure the area and prevent Iranian forces from approaching during the extraction.

Israeli intelligence assisted in locating the airman and limiting Iranian movements in the area, while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed several U.S. aircraft were destroyed during the operation.