US military rescue of downed F-15E Strike Eagle crew in Iran during conflict

✓ Verified by 2+ sources

Key details reported by multiple sources:

• An F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down by Iranian forces on Friday, marking the first US aircraft lost to enemy fire in the ongoing conflict (SMH, ABC, THEAGE, GUARDIAN).
• The two crew members ejected separately: the pilot was rescued within hours, while the weapons systems officer (colonel) was missing and became the focus of a 48-hour search (SMH, ABC, THEAGE, GUARDIAN).
• The weapons systems officer hid in a mountain crevice after hiking up a 2100-meter ridgeline, using evasion and survival training (SMH, ABC, THEAGE, GUARDIAN).
• The CIA initiated a deception campaign to mislead Iranian forces by spreading false information that the airman had already been rescued (SMH, ABC, THEAGE).
• US Special Operations forces, including SEAL Team 6, conducted a nighttime rescue mission involving hundreds of troops and dozens of aircraft (SMH, ABC, THEAGE, GUARDIAN).
• Two C-130 transport planes became stuck in sandy terrain at a remote airstrip in Iran, forcing the US military to call in three replacement aircraft and later destroy the disabled planes to prevent capture (SMH, ABC, THEAGE).
• The rescued airman sustained injuries but was described as 'just fine' by President Trump (SMH, ABC, THEAGE, GUARDIAN).
• Iran offered a reward for the capture of the downed US airman and urged civilians to assist in locating him (SMH, ABC, THEAGE, GUARDIAN).
• The rescue operation took place in Isfahan province, a region with significant opposition to the Iranian government (SMH, ABC, THEAGE).
• Iran claimed to have shot down a US A-10 ground attack aircraft in the Gulf, though US officials did not confirm this (GUARDIAN).
• The US military used attack aircraft to drop bombs and fire on Iranian convoys near the rescue site to deter Iranian forces (SMH, ABC, THEAGE).
• The rescue mission was described as one of the most challenging and complex in US Special Operations history (SMH, ABC, THEAGE).
• The pilot was rescued within six hours of ejection, while the weapons systems officer remained 'status unknown' for nearly 48 hours (SMH, ABC).
• The US military employed cyber, space, and intelligence capabilities alongside conventional forces in the rescue operation (SMH, ABC).
• The rescue occurred in the early hours of Sunday (local Tehran time), with the airman extracted by nightfall (SMH, ABC, THEAGE, GUARDIAN).
• The US military destroyed four MH-6 Special Operations helicopters and two C-130s to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands (SMH, ABC).
• The downed F-15E was the first US aircraft lost to enemy fire in the month-long conflict (SMH, ABC, THEAGE, GUARDIAN).
• The rescue involved coordination between US and Israeli intelligence to confirm the airman’s location and status (SMH, ABC).
• The airman’s beacon was used intermittently to avoid detection by Iranian forces (SMH, ABC, THEAGE)