Ratcliffe outlines CIA’s ‘no-fail’ rescue mission for downed US airman in Iran
WASHINGTON, DC: CIA Director John Ratcliffe outlined the agency’s central role in rescuing a downed US weapons systems officer deep inside Iran, describing the operation as a “no-fail mission.”
He said the agency deployed a mix of human intelligence assets and advanced technology to locate the airman, calling the task akin to “hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.”
Deception campaign misled Iranian forces
According to Ratcliffe, the CIA executed a coordinated deception campaign aimed at confusing Iranian search teams pursuing the airman.
By Saturday morning, US intelligence had successfully located and confirmed that the officer was alive, hiding in a mountain crevice. “Still invisible to the enemy, but not to the CIA,” Ratcliffe said, underscoring the precision of the operation.
The weapons systems officer was extracted later that night, completing a mission that Ratcliffe said left Iranian forces “embarrassed and ultimately humiliated.”
The operation relied on precise coordination between intelligence and military units, ensuring the airman’s safe recovery without detection.
Trump hails ‘harrowing’ operation
From the White House, Donald Trump described the rescue as “one of the largest, most complex, most harrowing combat searches ever attempted by the military.”
He said the aircraft, an F-15E Strike Eagle, was shot down during Operation Epic Fury while flying deep inside Iranian territory. Both crew members ejected and landed on Iranian soil.
Trump said 21 military aircraft were deployed immediately after the jet was downed. In the initial phase, the pilot was quickly located and rescued by an HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter.
The weapons systems officer, however, landed far from the pilot and navigated rugged mountain terrain to reach higher ground, complicating rescue efforts.
Defending the decision to launch the mission, Trump said the operation reflected a core military principle: “In the United States military, we leave no American alive.”
The successful extraction marks a significant moment in the ongoing conflict, highlighting both the risks of operations inside hostile territory and the capabilities of US intelligence and military coordination.
