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Members of the Cypriot National Guard’s Special Operations Team and U.S. Navy SEALs participated in a joint military training exercise, as shown in the image.
Washington reports indicated that U.S. commandos launched a covert mission deep into Iranian territory to rescue a fallen airman. This occurred just hours after President Donald Trump confirmed the crew member’s safe recovery. Iran claimed to have shot down an F-15 fighter jet, marking the first American fighter lost inside Iran since the conflict began; however, the U.S. has not verified those details.
Early Sunday, Trump announced that the U.S. military had conducted one of the most daring search and rescue operations in U.S. history, successfully retrieving a highly respected Colonel and crew member, who is now reported to be safe. Navy SEAL Team 6 was tasked with the extraction, while U.S. attack aircraft targeted Iranian convoys to prevent interference, according to the New York Times, citing an anonymous official.
The rescued airman, a weapons systems officer, sustained injuries during ejection but remains mobile, managing to evade capture in the mountains for over a day. He was equipped with a pistol, a distress beacon, and secure communication devices to aid rescue efforts. U.S. forces engaged Iranian forces near the site to ensure the rescue’s success.
Trump also stated on his Truth Social platform that he authorized the deployment of numerous aircraft, heavily armed, to extract the airman. He affirmed that the injuries the soldier sustained would not have lasting effects. Two of the transport planes meant for evacuation were destroyed in a remote Iranian base to prevent their capture, with other aircraft then bringing the airman and rescuers out of Iran.
Iranian officials claimed that the rescue operation involved an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan province, which they said was completely thwarted. They also reported the destruction of two U.S. C-130 transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters.
The CIA reportedly spread disinformation within Iran, suggesting U.S. forces were moving the airman out covertly. Trump confirmed the successful rescue of another pilot, whose operation was kept secret to protect its integrity. He highlighted that, for the first time in U.S. military history, two pilots were rescued separately from enemy territory, both without any American casualties or injuries.
AFP has reached out to the White House and Pentagon for additional comments.
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