rescue

Whew. Sigh. LeBron!

History eluded. Embarrassment avoided. Belief restored.

The most secure legacy played with the most desperation. The most creaky veteran played with the most aggression. The winningest superstar played like he had everything to lose.

Wow. Gasp. LeBron!

So it went at Houston’s Toyota Center on Friday night when the Lakers, just two losses from becoming the first team in NBA history to blow a three-games-to-none lead, blew away the Rockets 98-78 to win their first-round series four games to two.

It was a night that prevented possibly the greatest meltdown in NBA history. It was a night that celebrated possibly the greatest player in NBA history.

“Started with LeBron,” Marcus Smart said. “The OG came out.”

When the shorthanded Lakers needed him most, their ageless 41-year wonder indeed showed up huge, James fighting down the lane, throwing in from deep, finding teammates like the sizzling Rui Hachimura and the surging Austin Reaves, leading with his entire massive being.

James wasn’t going to be on the wrong side of history. He wasn’t going to further stain his sterling 42-13 close-out record. He wasn’t going to let his final season end so early.

Wait a minute, this is not his final season? Not a chance. Bury any lingering doubt. After watching him dominate the youngest starting five in these playoffs Friday, it is impossible to imagine he’s going to call it quits.

He scored a game-high 28 points while enduring a team-high 37 minutes. He had eight assists, seven rebounds and only three turnovers. He even played defense, as the Lakers were a game-best plus-26 when he was on the court.

His night ended with him appropriately surrounded in the locker room by teammates who were bleating like goats. Because he’s the, well, you know.

Lakers forward LeBron James shoots over Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. during the first half of Game 6.

(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

“It speaks to his greatness,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said, and, yeah, somebody must be great if they can induce grown men to imitate farm animals. “To me he’s had the greatest career of any NBA player … for him to do it again and answer the bell again, it’s … baffling in some ways.”

From the frying pan to the fire, the Lakers now travel to Oklahoma City to face the defending champion Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals beginning Tuesday.

This could get real ugly, real quick.

The Lakers won’t have injured leading scorer Luka Doncic for the foreseeable future. They will be playing a Thunder team that drubbed them in the regular season, including a 43-point stomping just last month.

The Lakers don’t stand a chance. They’ll be lucky to avoid a sweep. They should quit while they’re ahead.

Which is exactly what everyone said about them before this Rockets series, before they took advantage of a Kevin Durant injury and Reaves’ return from injury, before they revealed a sense of focus and connection completely unexpected from this disjointed group.

Before James decided he wouldn’t let them lose.

“We had some obstacles obviously and I know they were without guys as well, but I thought we answered the call,” James said. “I thought we answered the challenge, and for them to allow me to lead them, that means a lot to me.”

Truly, lost in all the criticism over the last two Lakers losses was the truth that they never should have been in this position in the first place.

Consider this near miss one of James’ greatest postseason achievements. Consider his first playoff series win a huge endorsement for Redick as coach. Consider any positivity that comes from the Oklahoma City series as pure gravy.

Lakers forward LeBron James scores on an uncontested layup after blowing past the Rockets defense during the first half of Game 6.

(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

“For us to be written off a few weeks ago and to win a playoff series is a big deal,” Redick said. “And it speaks to the character of our team and the leaders of our team that they didn’t let go of the rope.”

James led the Lakers to a five-point lead in the first quarter, then absolutely dominated with a 14-point second quarter in which he outscored the entire Rockets team and gave the Lakers an 18-point halftime lead that never was challenged.

See if you can follow along …

James hits a fallaway. Jake LaRavia races down for a layup. Smart draws a charge. James hits a three. James hits a spinning layup. LaRavia connects on a fastbreak jam. James sinks another layup.

For those breathlessly keeping score, the Lakers began that second quarter with a 9-0 run that, dating to the first quarter, was an incredible 21-2 smackdown. At one point the Rockets missed a dozen straight shots. At another point they were 0 for 15 in the quarter.

The Rockets momentarily stopped the bleeding with six consecutive points late in the half, but on James’ last-minute trey, the Lakers finished the quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 49-31 halftime lead.

”He just has this ability to set the tone for the entire group,” Redick said. “He did that again tonight and the guys responded.”

James scored on a jump shot just seconds into the third quarter and the rout continued. Houston, which made only six baskets in the quarter, mounted a bit of a surge late in it, but Smart ended any momentum by drawing his third charge of the night.

“I love charges,” Smart said. “They’re demoralizing.”

Redick angrily called a timeout with 6:28 remaining in the game after a defensive lapse with the Lakers leading by 19. James fittingly scored on a layup immediately after the timeout, and the game was formally finished.

The Lakers’ defense was astounding, holding the Rockets to 13 points below their season low. The Lakers’ rebounding was astonishing, nearly doubling the offensive rebounds of the NBA’s best offensive rebounding team.

The Lakers offensive collective also was cool, Hachimura hitting five of seven treys, Reaves scoring 15 points with three blocked shots, and Deandre Ayton finishing a fine series with 16 rebounds.

But this was about the OG, who noted that he is finally comfortable celebrating small victories and said, “I think we should be proud of the way we handled this.”

The way he handled this.

Bleat … bleat … bleat.

SPIRIT Airlines has confirmed it has officially shut down after all last-minutes attempts to save the company fell through.

Donald Trump on Friday had said he had offered a final proposal for a federal bailout.

But a deal was not made after talks hit a wall over a $500million rescue package.

American, United and Frontier Airlines have all offered to support any passengers left stranded by the closure.

It comes after the airline filed for bankruptcy for a second time.

“It is with great disappointment that on May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately,” the airline said in a statement on Saturday.

“All Spirit flights have been cancelled, and Spirit Guests should not go to the airport.

“We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 34 years and had hoped to serve our guests for many years to come.”

Spirit, like many other airlines, has been plagued with skyrocketing fuel costs as the Iran war continues, with some carriers raising fares and increasing checked bag fees.

“Unfortunately, despite the Company’s efforts, the recent material increase in oil prices and other pressures on the business have significantly impacted Spirit’s financial outlook,” it said.

Some other budget-friendly airlines have asked the government for help as they face jet fuel price spikes.

Spirit’s collapse just a day after it was still selling tickets to travelers has left thousands stranded as all flights have been canceled.

In addition to this, 17,000 workers are now out of work including 14,000 airline employees and thousands of contractors.

Passengers with Spirit tickets will be getting automatic refunds if they booked directly with the airline using a debit or credit card.

Those who have tickets from travel agents must “contact the travel agent directly to request a refund.”

The airline added that it will not be able to help passengers re-book their flights with another airline.

However, rival carriers have offered help, with JetBlue offering passengers $99 one-way fares for those who have proof of a Spirit itinerary for the same route of travel until May 6.

The airline has urged stranded passengers to call 1-800-JETBLUE for help getting where they need to go.

In addition to this, JetBlue has capped basic fares at $299 or less on certain non-stop routes.

Similar moves are being made by United, Delta, and Southewest, the Department of Transportation confirmed.

“The Trump Administration is committed to taking care of you and your family when you fly,” said US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

“In a matter of hours, we’ve activated our airline partners to ensure passengers are not stranded, communities maintain route access, fares do not skyrocket, and Spirit’s workforce is connected to new job opportunities.”

The department has outlined the ways that it and fellow airlines are assisting those affected by Spirit’s collapse from capped and reduced fares to refund advice and employee support.

Duffy has largely blamed former President Joe Biden for the airline’s collapse.

This is because a proposed merger between Spirit and JetBlue was blocked under the Biden administration in 2024 which Duffy called “a massive mistake” in a press conference on Saturday morning.

He added that President Trump was “like a dog with a bone” trying to find a deal to keep Spirit afloat but noted that the airline “was in dire straights long before the war in Iran.”

And it’s not just Spirit struggling financially, with The Association of Value Airlines seeking $2.5billion in federal help to keep discount airlines like Breeze and Frontier running amid high fuel prices.

Duffy has already rejected this level of funding and in his press conference, accused low-budget airlines of trying to piggyback on the generosity the Trump administration showed to save Spirit in trying to save it.

The U.S. Air Force has shared new details about how it will modify a subset of HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopters to perform the so-called Air Force District of Washington (AFDW) mission set. AFDW HH-60Ws will be tasked with ferrying VIPs around the nation’s capital, as well as supporting continuity of government plans. In the latter role, the Jolly Green IIs will be poised to spirit senior U.S. officials and lawmakers to safety at a moment’s notice to ensure the federal government can continue to function even in the event of an attack or a similarly serious contingency. HH-60Ws were just in the news recently in relation to their primary CSAR mission, having taken part in efforts to rescue the crew of an F-15E Strike Eagle shot down in Iran.

The Air Force currently uses a fleet of aging UH-1N Twin Huey helicopters based at Andrews Air Force Base (technically now part of Joint Base Andrews) to perform AFDW missions. The service had initially planned to replace them with new MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters, but revealed last year it was considering using HH-60Ws for this role instead. The Air Force’s proposed budget for the 2027 Fiscal Year, which was rolled out earlier this week, confirms that it is officially moving ahead with plans to supplant the UH-1Ns at Andrews with Jolly Green IIs. The service is still procuring and fielding MH-139s, primarily to help provide security around Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos.

“26 HH-60Ws will replace the UH-1Ns at Air Force District Washington (AFDW) to execute continuity of operations / continuity of government missions in the National Capital Region,” according to the Air Force budget documents. The term National Capital Region (NCR) refers to a larger area that surrounds Washington, D.C., proper.

The baseline HH-60W is a member of the extended H-60/S-70 Black Hawk family produced by Sikorsky, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin. The Jolly Green II has a number of distinct features in line with its primary CSAR mission, including a nose-mounted radar, an in-flight refueling probe, and a main cabin with a configuration optimized for the recovery of personnel, including individuals who may be injured. It also has provisions for mounted machine guns for self-defense, as well as launchers for decoy flares and chaff. The first HH-60Ws began entering Air Force service in 2022.

Up close with the HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter at Nellis AFB for The War Zone.

The AFDW “modifications include possible removal of components including, but not limited to, the following: Rescue Team Seat, Isolated Personnel Litter, Gun System, Chaff/Flare Buckets, and Doors/Floor Armor,” per the Air Force’s latest budget request. “In addition, this effort may include, but not limited to, the following modifications to the baseline HH-60W: ARC 210 Gen 6 radios, Infrared Countermeasure (IRCM) system, and alternate seating arrangement.”

Mention here of an IRCM system is worth highlighting. The integration of a built-in infrared countermeasure system onto the HH-60W, in general, has been a particular point of interest for the Air Force for years now. Various IRCM system designs are available on the open market today, all of which are intended to provide added protection against heat-seeking anti-air missiles. For helicopters, these systems provide a particularly valuable extra layer of defense against threats posed by shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, also known as man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS).

Earlier this month, the Air Force put out a contracting notice seeking information from contractors about their capacity to integrate either the Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) system or the AN/AAQ-45 Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasure (DAIRCM) system onto the HH-60W fleet. CIRCM is a U.S. Army-managed system now being installed on the service’s UH-60 Black Hawks, as well as other helicopter types within that service. The U.S. Navy manages the DAIRCM program, with those systems being integrated on a variety of helicopters across the U.S. military, including MH-60S Seahawks and VH-60Ns, the latter of which serve in the “Marine One” presidential airlift role. Northrop Grumman and Leonardo DRS are the prime contractors for CIRCM and DAIRM, respectively.

Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM)

Leonardo DRS: IRCM Technology

As TWZ has pointed out in the past, it has also been curious that HH-60Ws did not come with an IRCM capability from the start, given the explicit dangers the helicopters have been expected to face when performing CSAR missions. The AN/AAQ-45 system was even previously integrated into the Air Force’s older HH-60G Pave Hawks, which the Jolly Green IIs are replacing.

The risks HH-60Ws face when performing their primary mission were put on full display during the recent rescue efforts in Iran following the F-15E shoot-down. Questions have been raised in the past about the continued utility of traditional helicopters like the Jolly Green II in the CSAR role, broadly speaking, especially in potential future high-end fights, such as one between the United States and China in the Pacific. Air Force officials have said previously that they have been exploring alternatives for retrieving downed aircrew from deep within contested environments, but details about what that might consist of have remained limited.

A separate Air Force contracting notice put out earlier this month also provides additional details about the planned AFDW cabin configuration for the HH-60W.

“The AF [Air Force] will remove several components from the baseline 60W to allow for the installation of passenger seats for AFDW. Seating is required for 11 passengers,” that notice explains. “Seating must meet applicable crash and safety requirements including emergency egress.”

The “reconfiguration of [the] interior layout to accommodate [the] seating” will also be done in a way that allows for “preserving critical CSAR equipment (rescue hoist, defensive weapons, medical stations)” that the helicopters will still need for their new role.

Just in terms of general speed, range, and payload capacity, the HH-60W will offer a major boost in capability over the UH-1Ns that perform AFDW missions today. The Jolly Green IIs also offer advantages in this regard over the smaller and lighter MH-139s.

In addition, the Air Force has not indicated any plans to eliminate the HH-60W’s aerial refueling capability as part of the AFDW modifications. Neither the UH-1N nor the MH-139 is capable of being refueled in flight.

Combat Rescue Helicopter Successfully Executes Major Test Milestone: Aerial Refueling

All of this could be particularly valuable during continuity of government taskings in the very busy and otherwise complex skies over the NCR. The airspace around Washington, D.C., is also the most densely defended and heavily monitored anywhere in the United States. This was all highlighted in the fatal mid-air collision involving an Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet in January 2025. The Black Hawk, assigned to a unit at Davison Army Airfield in Virginia, had been conducting a continuity of government training flight.

As TWZ wrote at the time:

The flights could come at any time, including in the dead of night, and, depending on the circumstances, might face a host of other complex environmental factors and other challenging conditions. Power outages could put additional emphasis on the need to use night vision goggles, which impose limits on situational awareness. Attacks involving nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons would prompt the need to wear other bulky protective gear. In the outright rush to evacuate key personnel, the airspace would be filled with large numbers of aircraft, as highlighted by large COG exercises the 12th Aviation Battalion regularly conducts involving dozens of its helicopters.

As is made clear here, Air Force HH-60Ws would not be the only helicopters zooming around the NCR during a continuity of government scenario, either. Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1), best known for operating helicopters in the Marine One role, would also be involved. Helicopters belonging to the U.S. Park Police, as well as various other law enforcement and civilian agencies, would also have a role to play. You can read more about this here.

Military and police helicopters land at the US Capitol this evening.

As mentioned earlier, the AFDW mission set also includes performing more routine VIP airlift sorties on a daily basis.

There is a question of what modifying 26 HH-60Ws for the AFDW role might mean for the operational capacity of the rest of the CSAR-focused fleet. The Air Force’s 2027 Fiscal Year budget request does not show any plans to procure additional Jolly Green IIs to meet this new need in the nation’s capital. Years ago, the service already made the decision to scale back purchases of HH-60Ws, down from an original program of record for 113 of the helicopters. The total planned fleet size now looks to be 91, per the recently released budget documents. Without the acquisition of more Jolly Green IIs, this would mean that roughly 30 percent of the entire fleet is set to be re-roled away from the dedicated CSAR mission.

“It is more cost effective to modify previously procured HH-60Ws contained in back up inventory than to procure additional MH-139A aircraft,” an Air Force spokesperson had told Air & Space Forces Magazine last year when asked about the Air Force’s evolving plans for the AFDW mission set.

As it stands now, per the service’s latest budget request, the Air Force is looking to kick off formal development of the AFDW configuration for the HH-60W in Fiscal Year 2027, which begins on October 1 of this year. The goal is then to start refitting Jolly Green IIs for this role in the 2028 Fiscal Year.

Once modified, the specifically configured HH-60Ws will then begin taking over critical AFDW missions from the aging UH-1Ns at Andrews.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

WASHINGTON — The United States relied on dozens of aircraft, hundreds of personnel, secret CIA technology and a dose of subterfuge to rescue a two-man F-15E fighter jet crew downed deep inside Iran, a risky mission that President Trump and his top defense aides detailed Monday.

U.S. forces rescued the pilot within hours of the jet going down late Thursday, surging helicopters, midair refuelers and fighter aircraft deep into Iran after confirming his location, Trump said in a valedictory news conference at the White House, describing the military operation in an unusual level of detail.

The second aviator aboard the aircraft — the weapons systems officer — was rescued nearly two days later.

An A-10 Warthog, which was the attack aircraft primarily responsible for keeping in contact with the downed pilot on the ground, was hit by enemy fire while engaging Iranian forces, said Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The A-10 was “not landable,” Caine told reporters, but the pilot continued fighting before flying to a friendly country and ejecting. He was quickly rescued and is doing fine, Caine said.

The rescue of the F-15 pilot occurred before the Iranians could marshal a comprehensive search of their own, but finding and bringing home the weapon systems officer was an even more complicated endeavor.

The officer, who rode in the backseat of the F-15 flying under the call sign Dude-44 Bravo, was injured but followed his training to get as far from the crash site as possible. He managed to climb mountainous terrain and hide inside a cave or crevice. He contacted U.S. forces Saturday.

When a plane crashes in hostile territory, “they all head right to that site, you want to be as far away as you can,” Trump said.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the spy agency used “exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service” possesses to locate the aviator. At the same time, the CIA mounted a deception operation to mislead Iranians who also were trying to find him.

Ratcliffe said the search and rescue operation was “comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.”

The CIA declined to respond to questions Monday about the kind of technology used to locate the airman.

Protected by an “air armada” of drones, strike aircraft and more, rescuers moved in on Sunday to pick up the weapons officer and bring him home.

Many of the dozens of aircraft that were part of the operation were there for deception, Trump said.

“We were bringing them all over, and a lot of it was subterfuge,” Trump said. “We wanted to have them think he was in a different location.”

Back in Washington, national security officials coordinated on a call, keeping the phone line open for nearly two days straight.

“From the moment our pilots went down, our mission was unblinking,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. “The call never dropped. The meeting never stopped, the planning never ceased.”

Cooper, Toropin and Amiri write for the Associated Press. Cooper reported from Phoenix and Amiri from New York. AP writer Josh Boak contributed to this report.

Bleeding from injuries incurred ejecting from his F-15E Strike Eagle fighter and climbing a craggy mountain to escape, the U.S. Air Force Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) hid out in a crevice as both rescuers and Iranians frantically searched for him. Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, offered new details about the complex and dangerous missions to rescue the WSO and pilot – call signs DUDE44 Bravo and DUDE44 Alpha – whose Strike Eagle had been shot down April 3, the first loss of crewed aircraft to enemy fire during Epic Fury. While they offered the government’s take on events, other details emerged that we will address later in this story.

These rescue missions involved hundreds of troops, scores of aircraft and diversion operations over more than a half dozen different parts of Iran. It required risking the lives of many of those personnel to recover the two airmen.

President Trump News Conference After U.S. Airmen Rescue in Iran

The WSO’s recovery occurred on Easter Sunday some 50 hours after being shot down. It all began in the early morning hours of April 3 in Iran. After the F-15E was shot down, officials at U.S. Central Command received a message that would kick start the operation.

“A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle, call sign DUDE44… was down in hostile Iranian territory, the pilot and weapon systems officer had both safely ejected and were isolated behind enemy lines,” Caine told reporters during a White House briefing. “Following confirmation of active rescue beacons, and on the direction of the Secretary [of War Pete Hegseth] and by order of the President, a rescue operation was launched with the stated purpose of bringing both Americans home safely.”

A US Air Force combat search and rescue (CSAR) task force was quickly spun up, Caine explained. It included 10 A-10C Thunderbolt II close support jets, HC-130J Combat King CSAR planes, HH-60W Jolly Green II CSAR helicopters and Air Force special operations airmen.

“A package comprised of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen operators audaciously penetrated enemy territory in broad daylight to find, fix and recover DUDE44 Alpha from behind enemy lines,” Caine proffered.

As the CSAR package, protected by a fighter strike package, crossed into Iran, “A-10s and …drones and other tactical aircraft were violently suppressing and engaging the enemy in a close in gunfight to keep them away from the front seater and allow the pickup force to get into the objective area,” Caine noted. During this engagement, one of the A-10s – “the one primarily responsible for communicating with the downed pilot, was hit by enemy fire,” said Caine. “This pilot continued to fight, continued the mission, and then upon exit, flew his aircraft into another country and determined that the airplane was not landable… The pilot then made the decision to eject over friendly territory, and was quickly and safely recovered and is doing fine.”

After picking up the F-15E pilot, the HH 60W Jolly Green “was engaged by every single person in Iran who had a small arms weapon, and one of the aircraft, the trailing aircraft, took several hits,” Caine told reporters. “The crew sustained minor injury, and they are going to be fine.”

“The A-10 force and the rescue force did a fantastic job rescuing DUDE44 Alpha,” Caine continued. “He was recovered Friday afternoon, as I said, and the nation needs to know this. This was an incredibly brave and courageous mission, and a testament to the courage, skill and tenacity of the joint force and our leaders, and especially a daylight option.”

Rescuing the pilot was only the first step. The WSO was still out there, alone and being hunted by the military and civilians. Officials in Tehran put out a large bounty for his recovery. If was captured or killed, it would have been a tremendous propaganda coup for Iran and a huge problem for America.

“Meanwhile, the second crew member, the weapon system officer, a highly respected colonel, had landed a significant distance away from the pilot,” Trump explained. “When you’re going at those speeds, even if you go out two or three seconds later, it’s miles and miles away, because you’re going fast.”

The Death-Defying Mechanics of Fighter Jet Ejections | Cars Insider

The WSO “was injured quite badly and stranded in an area teeming with terrorists from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a rough group, as well as the Basij militia and local authorities,” recounted Trump, who was watching it all unfold in real time. “Despite the peril, the officer followed his training and climbed into the treacherous mountain terrain and started climbing toward a higher altitude, something they were trained to do in order to evade capture.”

“He scaled cliff faces bleeding rather profusely, treated his own wounds and contacted American forces to transmit his location,” the president continued. “They have a very sophisticated beeper type apparatus that is on them at all times.”

The WSO was located thanks in large measure to help from the CIA.

“As an agency, the CIA possesses unique capabilities that only the president can deploy,” said its director, John Ratcliffe, who also spoke at the presser. “Some of these capabilities fall under covert action authorities, and because covert means exactly that I’m not going to be able to tell you everything that you want to know. At the President’s direction, we deployed both human assets and exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service in the world possesses to a daunting challenge, comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.”

Trump praised Ratcliffe and the agency.

“And John Ratcliffe was incredible,” the president proffered. “It was actually their genius that called us from – he was 40 miles away – and he said, ‘you know, we’re seeing something moving up in a mountain.’ It’s at night And they kept the camera on for 45 minutes. He wasn’t moving. And they said, ‘you know, probably wrong, but we’re seeing something moving.’ This a man, vast mountain, vast thick with bushes, trees. He said, ‘We see something moving 40 miles away…I’m telling you, it’s moving.’ And then all of a sudden, 45 minutes later, he moved a lot, stood up, and they said, ‘we have him.’”

“And that was really the beginning of something incredible,” Trump added. “We had an idea where he was, but not specifically. That’s big mountain. So I want to thank the CIA too. I don’t think they get enough credit for the great job they’ve done.”

Once the WSO was located, “[w]e immediately mobilized a massive operation to retrieve him from the mountain,” Trump continued. “He kept going higher and higher. The mountain kept getting rougher and rougher, and was really, very, very hard to find. The second rescue mission involved 155 aircraft, including four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refueling tankers, 13 rescue aircraft and more.”

All these assets, however, weren’t just for the spot where the WSO was located. Many of these aircraft were taking part in diversion efforts to throw Iranians off the trail. 

“We were bringing them all over, and a lot of it was subterfuge,” Trump stated. “We wanted to have them think he was in a different location, because they had a vast military force out there, thousands and thousands of people were looking. So we wanted them to look in different areas. So we were scattered all over, like we were right on top of them. We had seven different locations where they thought, and they were very confused. They said, ‘Well, wait a minute, they’ve got groups here. They’ve got groups there.’”

As the WSO hid, the military had created a forward arming and refueling point on a farm, Trump noted. You can read more about how the Air Force would set up and defend such a location in our interview with a former Air Force Special Tactics Squadron airman here.

That location, the president proffered, was less than ideal for such operations, which involved landing two heavily loaded MC-130J Commando II special operations cargo planes that included several H-6 Little Bird special operations helicopters among other equipment in their holds.

“This was not much of a runway,” the president stated, adding that the ground was wet and sandy, making landing, and especially takeoff, a challenge. “This was a farm, not a runway. It’s a farm. But it did the trick.”

After the wounded WSO was found, he was whisked back to the FARP, but getting him and the aircraft brought in to help find him was a tremendous challenge.

Trump said that with the MC-130s stuck in the wet, sandy soil, “we blew them up to smithereens.” The Little Birds were also blown up in place as well, because the aircraft that replaced the Commando IIs weren’t capable of exfilling them.

To replace the C-130s, “lighter, faster aircraft came in, and they took them out,” Trump said about the personnel and equipment. He was almost certainly referring to the CASA C-295W, a short take off and landing (STOL) twin turboprop that are modified for the special operations role.

A video has previously emerged said to show a C-295W flying at extremely low altitude in the general vicinity of the crash site. The U.S. Air Force operates a handful of these aircraft, likely assigned to the secretive 427th Special Operations Squadron. This unit is known to specialize in covert and clandestine infiltration and exfiltration missions, among other duties.

You can see that video below.

During the press conference, Trump pointed out not everyone in the military was in agreement that the U.S. should commit so many resources, human and equipment, to such a dangerous effort to rescue two men.

“There was military people, very professional, that preferred not doing it,” explained the president. “There were military people that said, ‘you just don’t do this. You don’t go into the heart of a very powerful military.’”

Trump of course listened instead to Caine and Hegseth, each of whom implored him to green light the missions.

Now with the official account of the mission behind us, here are some additional details about the rescue that were reported elsewhere.

The communication device the airmen used was the CSEL, or Combat Survivor Evader Locator, according to Ynet. The manufacturer, Boeing, describes it as being “like a global 911 emergency call system for downed personnel, providing U.S. forces with a tactical advantage.”

The CSEL system uses a flexible, modular communications architecture over multiple satellite links for secure communications and sends simple messages in bursts, with a low probability of intercept (LPI). These messages can include basic information about the status of the downed airman. It can then switch to less stealthy line-of-sight radio when extraction forces are nearby.

United States President Donald Trump has announced that the US military has rescued a missing American fighter jet crew member in Iran.

The Air Force officer went missing in a remote part of Iran after the downing of his F-15 jet on Friday. Its two crew members ejected from the plane. The pilot was quickly rescued by US forces, but a search had to be launched for the F-15’s weapons systems officer.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump wrote that the US had rescued the second “seriously wounded, and really brave” airman from “deep inside the mountains of Iran”. It was reported that a firefight between US and Iranian forces took place in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province before the rescue. Iran has not confirmed this, however.

Here is how the complicated rescue mission unfolded:

What has Trump said about the rescue?

While the identity of the rescued airman has not been made public, Trump referred to him as “a highly respected Colonel”.

He added that the type of rescue mission that recovered him “is seldom attempted because of the danger to ‘man and equipment’”.

Trump said two raids had taken place, and the pilot was rescued in “broad daylight” during the second raid. It is unclear when precisely the pilot was rescued. The US president wrote that the rescue was “unusual, spending seven hours over Iran”.

In his post, Trump said he would talk more about the rescue mission during a news conference with the US military in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday at 1pm (17:00 GMT).

Trump wrote on Truth Social: “This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue.”

Trump added that he had ordered dozens of aircraft carrying “lethal weapons” to be sent to retrieve the airman, who had managed to evade Iranian forces for two days.

How did the search unfold?

On Friday morning, the US confirmed that an F-15E Strike Eagle had been shot down over southern Iran. The F-15 is a tactical fighter jet used by the US Air Force that first flew in 1972. Modern variants of the jet cost more than $90m each.

State media outlets in Iran showed photos of what they said was wreckage from the F-15 and what appeared to be an ejection seat with an attached parachute.

Trump suggested that the US knew the location of the plane’s second airman and was tracking him as the rescue mission unfolded.

Iran was also racing to locate the airman. Tehran called on the public to hand over the soldier to the authorities in what appeared to be an effort to secure an American prisoner of war.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed on Sunday that Iranian forces had also destroyed two C-130 aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters during the operation to rescue the US airman in southern Isfahan province.

What do we know about the two C-130 planes that Iran says it destroyed?

The C-130 Hercules and the newer C-130J Super Hercules variant were developed by the US weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin. They are military transport aircraft primarily used for tactical airlifts, troop transport and medical evacuations.

The Wall Street Journal reported that each C-130 costs more than $100m.

The newspaper said in a report on Sunday that the US blew up the C-130 jets on the ground during the rescue operation, quoting an unnamed person familiar with the matter. This unnamed official did not explain how the jets were downed during the rescue operation but told the outlet that it was necessary to destroy them to ensure they did not fall into enemy hands.

Has the US lost other military assets or personnel?

Yes. This conflict has killed 13 US service members and wounded more than 300, the US military’s Central Command said, but no US soldiers have been taken prisoner by Iran.

Since the start of the war on February 28, the US has lost three F-15 fighter jets in what it said was a friendly fire incident over Kuwait. A US military refuelling aircraft also went down over Iraq last month, killing all six crew members.

According to the US military, the last US fighter jet to be shot down by enemy fire before the F-15 on Friday was an A-10 Thunderbolt II during the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.

At least one Black Hawk helicopter was hit during the initial rescue operation, US officials said, but it managed to stay airborne.

An A-10 Warthog aircraft was also hit near the Strait of Hormuz a short time after the F-15E on Friday, but its pilot was able to eject before the plane crashed and was subsequently rescued. Iranian media reported this aircraft was hit by Iran’s defence systems.

Iran has not yet confirmed that a firefight took place before the F-15 airman’s rescue. Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said a firefight appeared to have occurred in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province and nine people were reported to have been killed in “strikes” there although it was unclear if this was related to the US rescue mission.

Iran’s armed forces claim that a U.S. fighter jet has been shot down over the country. According to Iranian state media, a U.S. F-35 was downed, although photos of the wreckage of a fighter on the ground point squarely to the aircraft involved being a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle — provided they are legitimate.

UPDATE: See latest info on the loss of the F-15E over Iran and the ongoing combat search and rescue operation at the bottom of this post.

A spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters said today that an F-35 was brought down over the central part of the country by a new type of air defense system operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with little chance the pilot survived, Reuters reports. The F-15E carries two aircrew, while the F-35 is a single-seater. At this point, we have no firm indication of the fate of the crew if such an incident did indeed take place.

It also remains possible that the images of the wreckage have been manipulated, and we are dealing with misinformation. However, the photos appear genuine and are certainly consistent with parts of an F-15E, including one of the vertical tails, and parts of the wing and tail. There is also the possibility that the images derive from an earlier F-15E loss, which we will come to later.

Specifically, the tail seen here would indicate an aircraft assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath in England, based on its red band. This is one of the units that has been deployed to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations for Epic Fury. The 494th FS has also been extremely active over the CENTCOM area of responsibility for many years.

We should also consider that the F-15E could have come down for multiple reasons other than being shot down by air defenses, as Iran claims. Potentially, the jet could have been hit and lost its tail and even part of its wing, before returning to safe airspace. That might sound incredible, but F-15s have done this before.

Iran might also be presenting some other F-15E wreckage. Iran has collected many wrecks of foreign aircraft over the years, but where this one would have come from is not clear.

Previous documented F-15E crashes in the Middle East or Afghanistan don’t involve aircraft from the 494th Fighter Squadron, as far as we can ascertain. Specifically, since Desert Storm (when the 48th Fighter Wing operated F-111s, not F-15Es), these (non-combat) losses occurred in Iraq (April 2003, 335th FS, 4th FW), Afghanistan (July 2009, 336th FS, 4th FW), and Libya (March 2011, 492nd FS, 48th FW).

Hours before the F-35 claim, the IRGC released a video of what it said showed the successful shootdown of a U.S. F-15 over Qeshm Island, in the Strait of Hormuz. In this case, they attributed the claimed shootdown to an unnamed advanced naval air defense system. The video shows the typical ground-based FLIR systems we have seen in use by air defenses in Yemen and, more recently, Iran. The video does not show the aircraft being struck, but it does show it maneuvering and releasing flares.

That claim was swiftly rebutted by CENTCOM.

At this point, it is unclear if these various incidents are connected, especially since the IRGC specifically identified an F-35 as being shot down, while the claimed Qeshm Island video and the apparent wreckage on the ground clearly show F-15s.

It should be recalled that three F-15Es were brought down over Kuwait in a friendly fire incident earlier in the campaign. CENTCOM confirmed that the six crew members involved ejected safely, and at least some of those remained in theater and have resumed combat operations. It was reported that the three Strike Eagles were brought down by a Kuwaiti Air Force F/A-18 Hornet, although many details of the incident remain unclear. At least one of these jets was from the 48th FW, so we cannot entirely rule out the possibility that we are seeing photos of wreckage from that incident here.

Last month, the IRCG claimed that a U.S. Air Force F-35A was hit over Iran, and U.S. officials confirmed the jet made an emergency landing, with the pilot having sustained shrapnel injuries. The IRGC released a video that they claimed shows the F-35 being hit by a missile, as seen through a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) system that is identical to the kind in yesterday’s supposed footage of the shootdown.

There appear to have been near-misses for U.S. fighter jets operating over Iran, too. On March 26, videos emerged showing an apparent very close call for a U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet after it was targeted by what appears to have been an Iranian man-portable air defense system (MANPADS). The F/A-18 was conducting a low-level strafing run at the time.

Taken together, all these events underscore the persistent threat posed by Iranian air defenses, whatever is left of them. Despite claims from U.S. officials of aerial superiority over Iran, the continued risk from various air defense systems is something that we have repeatedly drawn attention to.

The apparent incident today comes amid continuing regional tensions, with Iran launching more attacks across the Middle East, including missile strikes targeting Israel and Bahrain, as well as a drone attack that set an oil refinery in Kuwait on fire.

We have approached CENTCOM, the Pentagon, and U.S. Air Forces in Europe for more information and will continue to update this story as more details emerge.

UPDATES:

UPDATE: 6:27 PM EST –

The video we showed earlier of Iranian law enforcement shooting at low-flying U.S. Black Hawk helicopters was geolocated to near Choram, Iran, about 70 miles north of the Persian Gulf in that country’s southwest.

UPDATE: 5:28 PM EST –

The White House has called a “lid,” meaning that Trump has no further scheduled public events or media engagements this evening. However, he and his national security team are reportedly still meeting as the search goes on for the missing F-15E aviator.

UPDATE: 5:28 PM EST –

In a brief Friday phone interview with The Independent, Trump declined to say what his course of action might be if the missing crew member of a downed F-15E is captured or harmed by Iran..

“Well, I can’t comment on it because — we hope that’s not going to happen,” the president stated before ending the call.

Trump gave little clarity on how the U.S. would respond if the missing pilot in Iran is harmed, saying only, “We hope that’s not going to happen,” and declining further comment.

Source: The Independent

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 5: 19 PM EST –

The House Armed Services Committee was “notified by the Pentagon on Friday that the status of the second F-15E Strike Eagle service member is NOT known,” the Hill reported on X.

NEWS: The House Armed Services Committee was notified by the Pentagon on Friday that the status of the second F-15E Strike Eagle service member is NOT known, a congressional aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, told me @thehill @NewsNation

— Filip Timotija (@filip_timotija) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 5:11 PM EST –

Trump’s national security team is gathered at the White House, ABC News is reporting on X.

The president “has been working in the Oval Office or Oval Dining Room all day receiving updates,” the network added, citing a senior official.

There has been no public comments from Trump outside of social media posts, ABC noted.

A senior White House official tells me the President’s national security team is gathered at the White House.

Trump has been working in the Oval Office or Oval Dining Room all day receiving updates, the official adds.

No public comments from Trump outside of social media posts

— Selina Wang (@selinawangtv) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 4:59 PM EST –

The Washington Post is also reporting that an A-10 was struck by incoming fire over Iran. The pilot “navigated the damaged plane to Kuwaiti airspace before ejecting and was subsequently rescued,” the publication stated.

In addition, it confirmed an earlier NBC report that two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters involved in the search-and-rescue effort were also hit by Iranian fire. The Post added that the attack “injured U.S. personnel on board, though both aircraft have safely returned to their base.”

As we noted earlier in this story, The New York Times reported that an A-10 was shot down while Fox said that was inaccurate.

Neither the Pentagon nor CENTCOM have responded to requests for comment.

NEW: Two U.S. military aircraft were shot down in separate incidents Friday while conducting combat operations against Iran, setting off a frantic search-and-rescue effort that remains ongoing for one missing crew member, U.S. officials said. https://t.co/MTQavgZ90u

— Tara Copp (@TaraCopp) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 4:22 PM EST –

NBC News reports that two U.S. helicopters taking part in the recovery of the pilot of the downed F-15E were struck by Iranian fire, but that the troops are all safe.

UPDATE: 4:08 PM EST –

NBC News stated that in a brief phone interview, President Trump “refused to discuss the specifics of ongoing search and rescue efforts in Iran after an American jet was downed.”

However, he “expressed frustration about some of the coverage of what is plainly an intense and sensitive rescue operation,” the network reported.

Asked if today’s events will affect any negotiations with Iran, the president said it would not.

“No, not at all. No, it’s war. We’re in war, Garrett,” he said.

UPDATE: 3:58 PM EST –

Now Fox News is pushing back against the New York Times story about the A-10 crash,

“An A-10 Warthog attack caught ‘enemy fire’ while a rescue operation for the U.S. crew member took place,” the network reported, citing “a well-placed source.”

We have reached out to CENTCOM, which has not responded to numerous requests for comment, for clarity on these claims.

UPDATE: 3:31 PM EST –

Video emerged purporting to show members of the Iranian Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA) firing small arms at Black Hawks flying at low altitude. While Newsmax reported that a Black Hawk was struck in Iran, it is unclear if it was during this engagement.

And here is the scene of the FARAJA (Iranian Law Enforcement Command) engagement with American Blackhawks at low altitude. One Blackhawk was confirmed hit by Iran. It was a catastrophic day for the United States; many more are to follow. pic.twitter.com/657Th0J4xI

— NEUTRINO (@ETERNALPHYSICS) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 3:25 PM EST –

Newsmax is now reporting that the Black Hawk was indeed hit and that the crew is accounted for and safe.

UPDATE: 3:15 PM EST –

Iran’s semi-official Fars news said Tehran has rejected a White House request for a 48-hour ceasefire.

“Assessments indicate that this proposal came after the escalation of the crisis in the region and serious problems for US military forces due to an incorrect estimate of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military capabilities,” the outlet claimed. “Iran’s response to this proposal was not in writing, but rather a field response with continued heavy attacks.”

We have reached out to the White House for comment.

UPDATE: 3:03 PM EST –

The Pentagon has finally added Epic Fury to its online casualty database. To date, there have been 13 troops killed and another 365 wounded.

NEW: The Pentagon has finally added Operation Epic Fury to its online database of U.S. military casualties

As of April 3, a total of 365 have been wounded in action:

• Army = 247
• Navy = 63
• Marine = 19
• Air Force = 36

Death toll remains at 13https://t.co/VaC8OcXmDg

— Julia Jester (@JulesJester) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 2:58 PM EST –

The New York Times is reporting that an A-10 Warthog close support jet also crashed in the Persian Gulf region on Friday. The pilot was safely rescued, the newspaper stated, citing two anonymous officials.

“The A-10 Warthog attack plane went down near the Strait of Hormuz about the same time that an Air Force F-15E was shot down over Iran,” according to the publication. 

UPDATE: 2:50 PM EST –

Israel suspended airstrikes in Iran amid the U.S. search and rescue effort after a F-15E fighter jet was downed on Friday, according to The Associated Press.

An Israeli official told the AP that the airstrikes were halted in areas “relevant” to the rescue effort.

UPDATE 2:35 PM EST –

Newsmax is reporting that in addition to the F-15E being downed and one of the pilots rescued, a Black Hawk helicopter taking part in CSAR operations may have been hit over Iran as well. While The War Zone cannot independently verify this, the claim highlights the dangerous nature of these operations.

Report from @CarlaBNewsmax: “One source tells me a Blackhawk may have also been hit over Iran while conducting rescue ops to find the second F-15 pilot. I’m told the Blackhawk was tailed by a trail of smoke as it crossed into southern Iraq from Iran today.” https://t.co/mByzZrwMZu

— Steve Lookner (@lookner) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 2:10 PM EST –

President Donald Trump has been briefed on the downing of the F-15E, Al Jazeera is reporting.

“He has been briefed,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, the White House told us.

The White House has confirmed President Trump has been briefed on the shooting down of a US fighter jet in Iran. It comes as Iranian state TV announced a reward for anyone who captures the US pilots alive.

US media reported one crew member has been rescued. Here’s what we know. pic.twitter.com/dNBnMcqVAn

— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 12:30 PM EST–

The critical nature and the huge challenges involved in mounting a CSAR operation in Iranian territory are something we discussed before the war began, as you can read about here.

Specifically, on the CSAR part, we highlighted:

The U.S. has the most advanced air combat capabilities on earth, but ‘shit happens,’ especially during war. Even the Houthis nearly downed U.S. fighter aircraft optimized to destroy enemy air defenses. But regardless of defenses and the state of Iran’s air defense overlay, putting Americans over Iran, and repeatedly over days and weeks, is a risk. Aircraft can malfunction, and mistakes can be made. When that happens, it will require even more risk to push combat search and rescue assets into the area to try to recover the crew. In other words, regardless of America’s outstanding air warfare capabilities, there is still a real risk involved in any operation over Iran.

And that is just what we’ve seen today.

As for CSAR operations and the packages of assets used to go in and pluck downed aircrews from deep inside contested territory, these can look different based on where the incident occurred, what the enemy’s capabilities are, what assets are available and intelligence at the time. These highly tailored groups of assets are tasked with one of the toughest missions imaginable, penetrating into potentially highly defended territory where, in some cases, even America’s most capable combat aircraft did not survive. This would likely be occurring when an enemy is on its highest alert and very active searching for the downed aircrew. In other words, they know you are coming. Executing these operations at night is ideal, but sometimes, daylight cannot be avoided, upping the danger.

The risks are immense as putting many more lives and assets, the latter of which could be more vulnerable than the one lost, at risk in order to rescue a small number or aircrew can cascade quickly into a much larger disaster. While the rotary-wing aircraft and the Pararescuemen (PJs) they carry are often the stars of the CSAR show, a huge array of assets participate in these operations to make them have the best chance at success. This includes C-130s working in the aerial refueling and support role that enables the rescue helicopters to get to their target area. Fixed-wing attack aircraft working in the ‘Sandy’ close air support role aimed at opening holes for helicopters at their landing zones and protecting them and the rescue party once on the ground. They are also a contingency in place if a rescue asset also goes down, buying that crew time until another asset in the rescue party can swoop in and grab them. In the modern era of warfare, drones, such a MQ-9 Reapers, can also be risked ahead of the CSAR force to gather intel and surveil the landing zone. Also knowing what took down the stranded aircrew’s aircraft can be a big help in seeing the rescue force gets in and out of the area safely, as well.

CSAR Training • A-10 Warthogs Fly Close Air Support

From there the list is endless. This package would often require a counter-air capability of fighters providing defense against aerial threats. F-22s, F-15s, F-16s, can all provide this depending on the level of threat in the area. The force would also need to be backed by suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) aircraft, such as F-16CJ/CMs or F-35As, that would work to suppress or destroy any pop-up surface-to-air missile threats. Then you have standoff jamming support aircraft to help all this survive and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) assets to coordinate the air battle and keep an eye out for threats. Then there are the tankers, lots and lots of tankers, to keep all this stuff in the air for a prolonged period of time. Beyond this sampling of aircraft, there are many more assets and capabilities all over the globe and in space that would support such an operation.

And this is just a snapshot of the USAF’s CSAR portfolio, the Navy and Marines have their own tactical recovery of aircrew and personnel (TRAP) packages.

In the case of an air war like the one over Iran, these tailored packages were well thought through in advance and CSAR sits alert at all times ready to go execute the mission. The longer it takes to get to the target area the lower chances the crew has of surviving and/or not being captured. This can be a game of minutes or hours, not days, but bringing all these assets together and getting them on the same page without making things worse does take some time. Considering what is at stake, CSAR crews move as fast as possible to get the mission in motion as they know their job only gets exponentially harder and more dangerous with time, as does evading enemy capture for the downed crew.

The big takeaway here is that these are extremely complex and highly-integrated operations, usually executed under very tight timelines.

UPDATE: 12:20 PM EST–

U.S. officials have confirmed to CBS News that one crew member from the F-15E downed over Iran has been rescued by American forces.

A search and rescue effort is ongoing for the other crew member, the same sources said. 

UPDATE: 12:00 PM EST–

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has apparently told CNN that President Trump has been briefed on the situation regarding the F-15E shootdown. We are still waiting to hear back from CENTCOM, the Pentagon, and U.S. Air Forces in Europe for anything more concrete on the incident.

President Trump has been briefed on the US fighter jet shot down over Iran, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tells CNN

— Faytuks News (@Faytuks) April 3, 2026

In what may well turn out to be a separate incident, there are reports that a U.S. Air Force F-16 flying in an area around the Iraq-Iran border has squawked 7700, the universal, international transponder code used by aircraft to immediately alert Air Traffic Control (ATC) of a general emergency. We have again reached out to CENTCOM for more details.

A U.S. Air Force F-16CJ is flying out of Iran/Iraq airspace and has squawked 7700— the universal code for a general in-flight emergency, indicating the crew is dealing with a serious issue. https://t.co/De9S0gkjax

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 11:35 AM EST–

Very much unconfirmed at this stage is a report from N12 News in Israel, citing a Western source, who says that one of the two U.S. aircrew of the downed F-15E has been rescued.

N12 News’ Amit Segal reports, citing a Western source, that one of the two US crew members of the downed fighter jet has been rescued. https://t.co/fpB6JNTJgv

— Faytuks News (@Faytuks) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 11:30 AM EST–

We seem to have gotten an update on the earlier report that Iran was offering a bounty for the safe recovery of a U.S. pilot. Authorities are now reportedly offering a sum of around $60,000.

Iranian authorities are offering a reward of 10 billion tomans (~$60k) for the capture of the American F-15E aircrew downed earlier today.

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 3, 2026

The Iranian Mehr News Agency reports that a U.S. helicopter involved in the rescue effort was hit by some kind of Iranian projectile. It is unclear if the helicopter was brought down or if it is the same example that was reported as “attacked by air defense near the border and fled the scene.” Of course, this could be nothing more than propaganda. Although imagery reportedly showing a hit on the helicopter is circulating on social media, it is far from clear whether or not it is authentic.

UPDATE: 11:20 AM EST–

Videos also continue to emerge claiming to show HC-130Js operating over Iran, often at low level. In its official factsheet, the Air Force stresses that HC-130J crews “normally fly night, at low to medium altitude levels in contested or sensitive environments, both over land or overwater.” Such overt daytime flights would point to the particular urgency of this mission, but it is worth noting that the HC-130J is also well equipped with self-protection gear.

U.S. Air Force HC-130J Combat King II search and rescue plane overflying an Iranian countryside at ultra-low altitude during the ongoing operation to evacuate two American crew-member of the downed F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet. pic.twitter.com/CWc5SzokRT

— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) April 3, 2026

«جمعه ۱۴ فروردین ۱۵:۱۶. نزدیک جزیره خارگ. بعد از ما رفت سمت ایران و خارگ.» pic.twitter.com/lqYC2dhWYG

— مملکته (@mamlekate) April 3, 2026

Unverified for now are videos coming out of Iran that claim to show locals firing small arms at U.S. aircraft involved in the rescue effort.

UPDATE: 11:10 AM EST–

The Guardian appears to be one of the first major news outlets to report that the aircraft shot down was an F-15E, citing U.S. officials familiar with the situation who confirmed this fact off the record, and that the Pentagon was scrambling to find the crew.

The same has been reported by specialist press, including Air & Space Forces Magazine.

A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle was downed over Iran and combat search and rescue efforts are underway, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine. https://t.co/divbKi1VT0

— Chris Gordon (@ByChrisGordon) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 10:40 AM EST–

Multiple major news agencies, including CNN, the New York Times, and Reuters, are now reporting that a U.S. fighter jet has been shot down over Iran. The incident would mark the first time a U.S. aircraft has been shot down over Iran during the conflict — at least that we know about. 

According to CNN, three U.S. sources have confirmed Iranian state media reports. Reuters cites a single U.S. official.

CNN has geolocated some of the videos of CSAR efforts in the Khuzestan province in central Iran. One of the videos shows a bridge over the Karoon River, which is around 290 miles south of Tehran.

A US fighter jet has been shot down over Iran, three US sources said confirming Iranian state media reports.
US forces have launched search and rescue efforts, the sources said. Potential rescue efforts appeared to be captured in video posted to social media and geolocated by…

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) April 3, 2026

An unverified video said to be taken from the area of the rescue effort shows an A-10C attack jet. The A-10 is well-versed in the Sandy mission, a specialized CSAR role in which the jets provide close air support for downed aircrew and escort rescue helicopters.

UPDATE: 9:00 AM EST–

Citing Iranian media as well as an unnamed source familiar with the incident, Axios reports that Iran did shoot down a U.S. jet, and that a search and rescue effort is underway to locate two crew.

UPDATE: 8:50 AM EST–

At least some official Iranian media channels are now also reporting the U.S. military aircraft claimed shot down over the country earlier today as an F-15E, rather than an F-35.

🚨Iran has shot down an F-15E ‘Strike Eagle’ belonging to the 494th Fighter Squadron ‘LN’ based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom

Debris of the tail fin confirm the downing. The fate of the pilots is currently unclear. pic.twitter.com/onicosCPAp

— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 8:35 AM EST–

Iranian television channels are apparently now broadcasting a message offering a reward from the regime for anyone who can capture the U.S. pilot alive.

UPDATE: 8:30 AM EST–

Additional videos, purportedly taken in Iran, appear to show a pair of HH-60 helicopters taking turns to refuel from an HC-130J.

Wild footage from a USAF C-130 fueling two helicopters over Iran shared by telegram channels. The cars & the dialect are Iranian and from southwest. pic.twitter.com/K9cufOOY26

— Ramin Khanizadeh (@RKhanizadeh) April 3, 2026

🚨Many people in southwestern Iran have gone to the area around the crash site of the American fighter jet in private cars to #capture the American pilot.

The Iranian armed forces have called on the people NOT TO LET anyone mistreat the pilot.

— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 8:15 AM EST–

Tasnim, the semi-official news agency in Iran associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, claims that U.S. attempts to rescue a downed fighter pilot (singular) have failed. The agency says that this was confirmed to them by “news sources” in Kohgiluyeh. The report continues: “The Americans have been conducting search operations for hours using Black Hawk helicopters and a Hercules 130 aircraft to rescue their fighter pilot who was shot down by Iranian armed forces; however, their attempt has failed.”

One of the helicopters involved in the rescue effort was “attacked by air defense near the border and fled the scene,” Tasnim adds.

In a post on X, Tasnim claims: “Unconfirmed reports suggest that Iranian security forces have taken into custody the pilot of a U.S. F-35 fighter jet following its destruction by the country’s air defense system inside Iranian territory.”

Of course, all of these claims remain unverified at this point. It is also puzzling, to say the least, why Iranian reports are consistently identifying the jet as an F-35, while publishing photos of an F-15E.

Iranian Forces Capture F-35 Pilot After Downing Advanced US Warplane

Unconfirmed reports suggest that Iranian security forces have taken into custody the pilot of a US F-35 fighter jet following its destruction by the country’s air defense system inside Iranian territory. https://t.co/PiQDh7xoo9 pic.twitter.com/FK4OGROOYi

— Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) April 3, 2026

Normally, CSAR operations would be kept under wraps until the crew was safe, but in our digital world that is no longer guaranteed. The US has well practiced and resourced procedures, but there is always the risk of losing more assets in the act of saving downed aircrew.🤞 https://t.co/zyDXqIueMP

— Greg Bagwell (@gregbagwell) April 3, 2026

Unverified footage suggests that the CSAR effort over Iran may also now be supported by F-35 fighters and MQ-9 Reaper drones.

NOW: F-35 jets and MQ-9 drones were also spotted supporting U.S. helicopters over Iran, searching for the pilots of downed F-15E jet. pic.twitter.com/1cpNQ7pJq0

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 3, 2026

UPDATE: 7:50 AM EST–

Unverified claims from Iranian sources, as well as imagery, suggest that the U.S. military may have staged an effort to rescue pilots from the downed F-15E fighter jet in Iran. Available imagery points to the use of C-130 and H-60 Black Hawk series aircraft. Specifically, U.S. Air Force combat search and rescue efforts typically rely upon the heavily modified HH-60 helicopters for extraction, HC-130J Combat King II aircraft for command and refueling, and highly specialized pararescuemen (PJs).

WATCH: U.S. C-130 Hercules reportedly flying very low over Iran, deploying flares.

The U.S. forces are highly likely searching the pilots of downed F-15E jet. pic.twitter.com/cPaQg29bOg

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 3, 2026

Also unverified, at this point, is the following image, which claims to show one of the two ejection seats from the downed F-15E.

The Iranians have found the Advanced Concept Ejection Seat II (ACES II) ejection seat system employed in U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet that crashed in Iran this morning.

The whereabouts of the F-15E’s two crew-members are still unknown. pic.twitter.com/Q2Fz558TBr

— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) April 3, 2026

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

Iranian rescue workers have been pulling survivors and bodies out of a residential building in south Tehran after a US-Israeli missile strike. Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi was at the scene.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society released video showing rescuers in Tehran lowering a man strapped to a stretcher from the wreckage of a building severely damaged in an airstrike.

A blast occurred in an apartment above a restaurant in Gaza City, causing a blaze. Rescue teams headed to the site to put off the fires. The cause of the blast is suspected to be an Israeli drone attack, several people had died in the blast.