WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Sunday, the dramatic two-day search and rescue for a missing airman in Iran came to a successful close after an extremely risky, yet highly coordinated, operation in hostile territory.
If you were paying attention to the story over the weekend and noticed similarities to the plot of the 2001 movie Behind Enemy Lines, or other action favorites— you were not alone.
On Sunday, U.S. forces carried out a daring, coordinated, dramatic — but successful — rescue from behind enemy lines, just days before President Donald Trump’s consequential deadline for Iran.
“This was an incredibly dangerous mission,” said Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Monday afternoon, President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Gen. Dan Caine and other officials held a briefing at the White House to detail the extensive, high-risk operation that took place in the early hours of Sunday.
“Special operators, supported by elite aircrews and intelligence professionals, moved swiftly and decisively into treacherous mountain terrain under the constant threat of Iranian forces closing in,” said Hegseth.
The operation came two days after the F-15 was shot down and the pilot was rescued.
“This was not barely into Iran, this was deep into Iran,” said Hegseth. “Iran’s military — and we know this — is embarrassed and humiliated, and they should be.”
Officials say the seriously wounded airman had been hiding in mountainous terrain as Iranian forces searched for him, until U.S. intelligence tracked his location.
“On Saturday morning, we achieved our primary objective by finding and providing confirmation that one of America’s best and bravest was alive and concealed in a mountain crevice, still invisible to the enemy — but not to the CIA,” said Director Ratcliffe.
President Trump then ordered the risky, yet extremely coordinated rescue mission — which included “a deception campaign” by the CIA to intentionally mislead hostile forces.
“In addition to the human and technical assets deployed by the president to find our airmen, CIA executed a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians who were desperately hunting for our airman,” said Ratcliffe.
The dramatic extraction came just hours before an expletive-filled Truth Social post by President Trump warning Iran he would target critical infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz stays closed. Trump doubled down Monday, giving Iran a hard deadline.
“We’re giving them until tomorrow, 8:00 Eastern time. And after that, they’re going to have no bridges. They’re going to have no power plants,” said Trump. “The entire country can be taken out in one night. And that night might be tomorrow night.”
Secretary Hegseth said Iran will see the highest volume of attacks late Monday ahead of Tuesday’s looming deadline.
Meanwhile, mediators from multiple countries are pushing a last-ditch 45-day ceasefire proposal aimed at reopening shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz and halting the fighting — but neither Washington nor Tehran has signed on.
