Inside US Airmen Rescue Op In Iran: Over 170 Aircraft, Including Bombers, And CIA Deception Plan

US President Donald Trump on Monday revealed the scale of the rescue operation for the crew of an F-15E fighter jet downed over Iran, saying more than 170 military aircraft were involved.

Speaking at a White House briefing, Trump said 21 aircraft were used to recover the pilot in the first mission, noting that the pilot was located and extracted by an HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter.

Meanwhile, for the second rescue mission to recover the weapons systems officer, Trump said around 155 aircraft were involved, including four bombers, 64 fighter jets, 48 refuelling tankers, and 13 specialised rescue aircraft.

NOW – Trump gives a run down of the search and rescue mission which involved “155 aircraft, including four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refueling

tankers, 13 rescue aircraft, and more,” to save the 2nd crew member. pic.twitter.com/smxqOFLmqr

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) April 6, 2026

“The second rescue mission involved 155 aircraft, including four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refuelling tankers, 13 rescue aircraft, and more. We were bringing them all over, and a lot of it was subterfuge,” Trump said.

ALSO READ: MC-130J Destroyed In Iran: Why The US Uses These Planes For Covert Infiltrations

The US President also revealed that the weapons systems officer landed a significant distance from the pilot and had to climb through rugged mountain terrain to a higher altitude, treating his own wounds while remaining undetected.

“The heroic F-15 weapons system officer had evaded capture on the ground in Iran for almost 48 hours. That’s a long time when you’re in tough shape and bleeding,” Trump said.

CIA rans ‘deception campaign’

CIA Director John Ratcliffe, speaking after Trump, outlined the agency’s role in the rescue, calling it a “no-fail mission.” He said the CIA deployed human assets and advanced technology to track the airman, calling the challenge as “daunting challenge compared to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.”

Ratcliffe said the agency ran a “deception campaign” to mislead Iranian forces while confirming that the weapons systems officer remained alive and hidden in a mountain crevice.

.@CIADirector: “CIA executed a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians, who were desperately hunting for our airmen. On Saturday morning, we achieved our primary objective by finding and providing confirmation that one of America’s best and bravest was alive… Following the… pic.twitter.com/HYPXdvhxPf

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 6, 2026

“CIA executed a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians, who were desperately hunting for our airmen,” Ratcliffe said, adding one airman hid in a mountain crevice until he was rescued.

“Following the successful exfiltration on Saturday night, our intelligence reflects that the Iranians were embarrassed, and ultimately humiliated by the success of this audacious rescue mission,” he said.

“At the president’s direction, we deployed both human assets and exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service in the world possesses,” Ratcliffe added.