U.S. Officials Describe High-Risk Rescue of F-15E Crew Shot Down Over Iran as Leak Probe Launches

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and top U.S. national security officials on April 6, 2026, detailed a multi-day operation to rescue two crew members from an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet shot down over Iran on Friday, April 3, 2026, during ongoing U.S. military strikes under Operation Epic Fury, which marked its 38th day on Monday.

Trump, speaking at a White House news conference alongside CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, described the mission as 'one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. history,' involving 'a lot of subterfuge' to mislead Iranian forces searching rugged mountainous terrain (Trump, White House briefing, April 6, 2026, as reported by Breitbart News and CBS News). The F-15E pilot was recovered the same day in a daylight operation under enemy fire, while the weapons systems officer (WSO) evaded capture for nearly 48 hours before a nighttime extraction early Sunday, April 5, 2026 (Hegseth, ibid.; Trump announcement, early Sunday, per CBS News).

According to Ratcliffe, CIA analysts conducted a 'race against the clock' to locate the wounded WSO, who had concealed himself in a mountain crevice after scaling ridges to higher ground, using 'human assets and exquisite technologies' to authenticate intermittent signals amid fears of Iranian deception (Ratcliffe, White House briefing, April 6, 2026, per Breitbart and CBS). The WSO activated his emergency transponder and transmitted 'God is good,' aiding confirmation of his survival (Hegseth, ibid.).

The CIA orchestrated a deception campaign creating false signals at seven locations to divert Iranian search parties, as Trump noted: 'We had seven different locations where they thought he was, and they were very confused' (Trump, ibid.). The operation involved scores of aircraft, special operations personnel, over 150 planes, and more than 200 munitions across multiple axes, with extended seven-hour flights over Iranian territory (Trump and Hegseth, ibid.; CBS News earlier reporting, April 6, 2026).

Hegseth described the effort as 'high-risk, high-stakes' deep in enemy territory, synchronizing air, ground, and special operations while suppressing threats, establishing forward positions, and using rotary-wing aircraft (Hegseth, White House briefing, April 6, 2026, per Breitbart). Caine called it a 'no-fail mission' with uninterrupted coordination for over 45 hours: 'The call never dropped. The meeting never stopped. The planning never ceased' (Caine and Hegseth, ibid.). Trump said the jet was downed by a 'handheld shoulder missile, [a] heat-seeking missile' (Trump, per CBS News).

U.S. officials reported no American fatalities in the rescue, with Trump stating forces 'descended on the area … engaged the enemy, rescued the stranded officer, destroyed all threats and exited Iranian territory while taking no casualties of any kind' (Trump, ibid.). Hegseth added that Iran's military was left 'embarrassed and humiliated,' questioning 'how did the Americans do this?' (Hegseth, per Breitbart). However, separate reports noted complications: an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot took fire, continued the mission, then ejected over friendly territory in the Persian Gulf after determining the aircraft was not landable, and was recovered safely (Caine, White House briefing, April 6, 2026, per CBS News); rescue helicopters faced small-arms fire, wounding crew members (CBS News, Axios, Military Times, April 3-4, 2026, as cited in bias analyses).

Further details from military sources indicate additional losses during the broader rescue: two C-130 Hercules self-destructed, four MH-6/AH-6 helicopters self-destructed, one A-10 destroyed by Iran, and two HH-60W helicopters damaged (Wikipedia entry on 2026 U.S. F-15E Rescue Operation in Iran; BBC, Military Times, as referenced in bias analyses). Prior to the incident, Operation Epic Fury had resulted in 13 U.S. troops killed and 365 wounded (Military.com, DoD data, April 4, 2026). These figures remain unverified in the White House briefing transcripts provided.

Amid the disclosures, Trump announced a probe into media leaks about the missing WSO reported on April 3, threatening jail time: 'We're going to go to the media company that released it, and we're going to say, 'National security, give it up or go to jail'' (Trump, White House briefing, April 6, 2026, per Fox News). A White House official told Fox News Digital the investigation was 'underway,' claiming the leak alerted Iran and endangered rescuers (unnamed White House official, April 7, 2026). Reports emerged Friday from Israeli outlets like N12 News (Amit Segal X post, citing Western source) and Axios (Barak Ravid, citing Israeli official and knowledgeable source), followed by U.S. media citing officials (Military Times, New York Post, Fox News analysis). Trump called the leaker a 'sick person' who 'put this mission at great risk' (Trump, ibid.). No Iranian denial or confirmation of the shootdown was included in U.S. briefings; Iranian state media like ISNA claimed downing the jet (BBC, April 2026).

The rescue occurred against escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, with Trump issuing an ultimatum for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, April 8, 2026, or face strikes on power plants and bridges: 'The entire country could be taken out in one night' (Trump, White House briefing and CBS interview, April 6, 2026). He described Iranians as negotiating 'in good faith' on a possible deal, including a Pakistani ceasefire proposal, but said duration depends on their actions: 'This is a critical period' (Trump, ibid.). No Iranian response to the ultimatum was immediately available.

The downed F-15E was part of U.S. strikes into Iran, with USAFE-AFAFRICA confirming continued operations post-rescue (USAFE-AFAFRICA statement, April 2026). Iranian forces and civilians reportedly closed in on the area (Ratcliffe, per Breitbart). All personnel were recovered despite aircraft issues requiring contingencies (Hegseth, ibid.).

Trump emphasized U.S. policy: 'We leave no American behind' and will 'go anywhere, anytime' (Trump, White House briefing, April 6, 2026). Ratcliffe highlighted CIA's role under his leadership, aligning with administration priorities (Breitbart profile, January 2026). No independent verification of deception success or Iranian confusion was provided; claims of humiliation remain U.S. characterizations, unverified by third parties.