A high-stakes game of intelligence theater allowed U.S. forces to pull a missing weapons systems officer from Iranian territory under the cover of a CIA-led deception campaign, senior administration officials confirmed Sunday.
The rescue ended a tense two-day search for the airman after his F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran.
Before the crew member was even located, the CIA intentionally leaked false information within Iran, claiming that American forces had already secured the airman and were transporting him across land for exfiltration.
While Iranian assets were diverted by the false trail, the agency used specialized tracking capabilities to find the airman hiding in a remote mountain crevice.
READ: “WE GOT HIM!”: Daring Rescue Mission Pulls Missing U.S. Colonel From Iranian Mountains
Once the agency pinpointed the exact coordinates, the data was funneled directly to the Pentagon and the White House. President Trump, who reportedly spent the day in the Oval Office receiving “constant updates” from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, ordered an immediate extraction.
The CIA maintained a real-time intelligence feed throughout the mission to guide the rescue teams on the ground.
The President announced the success of the mission overnight, describing the recovery of the “highly respected Colonel” as “one of the most daring” search and rescue operations in U.S. history.
Despite the complexity of the operation and the involvement of multiple intelligence branches, officials stated the mission was executed without further incident once the airman’s location was verified.
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