A US Air Force personnel, stranded in hostile Iranian territory after his F-15E fighter jet was shot down, was rescued in a high-risk operation.
The airman, who had to confirm his identity to US forces before being rescued, reportedly hid in a crevice on a hilltop after spraining his ankle.
Despite the difficult terrain and language barriers, he managed to establish contact with US forces and successfully authenticate his identity, according to Reuters.
The mission involved US special operations forces entering rugged terrain south of Tehran to rescue a stranded American weapons specialist.
However, the operation quickly escalated into a tense standoff when two MC-130 aircraft used for the operation developed mechanical issues and were unable to take off.
With roughly 100 commandos on the ground and no immediate way out, the situation became precarious.
Commanders were forced to make a risky call — dispatching additional aircraft into Iranian territory to evacuate personnel in phases.
The rescue team was successfully evacuated in stages, and before leaving, US forces destroyed the disabled aircraft and additional helicopters to prevent sensitive technology from falling into Iranian hands.
The rescue centred around a US weapons specialist who had ejected from an F-15E fighter jet after it was struck over Iran's Isfahan province.
US agencies carried out deception tactics aimed at misleading Iranian authorities about the airman's location, and military planners jammed communications and targeted nearby roads to restrict movement in the area.
Smaller turboprop aircraft capable of landing on short airstrips were used to extract both the stranded airman and the rescue teams.
