Video | How did the U.S. military rescue the pilot during the search and rescue operation? The U.S. and Iran each have their own account.

Ask AI · Why do the accounts from both the U.S. and Iran about the loss of military aircraft differ?

In the early hours of the 5th local time, U.S. President Trump announced on social media that the U.S. military had rescued the second pilot aboard the F-15E fighter aircraft that had been shot down over Iran. The U.S. side said that during the search-and-rescue operation, the U.S. military destroyed two disabled transport planes. Iran, however, said it shot down three U.S. military aircraft that took part in the rescue operation.

In a post, Trump said that over the past several hours, the U.S. military had completed the search-and-rescue operation for the pilot, who was injured but not seriously hurt. The post said the pilot was then in a dangerous mountainous area in Iran, and the U.S. military dispatched dozens of “aircraft carrying the deadliest weapons in the world” to carry out the rescue.

U.S. Special Forces execute search and rescue — now fully withdrawn

Some U.S. officials said that this search-and-rescue operation was carried out by U.S. special forces, supported by extensive air cover, and all members who took part have already left Iran. It is claimed that after the pilot ejected, he established contact with the U.S. military through the communications system; after the U.S. military determined the pilot’s exact location on the 4th, it launched the search-and-rescue.

The U.S. destroys two disabled transport planes

Also, according to information from the U.S. side, fierce firefights broke out during the rescue operation. In addition, two U.S. military transport aircraft that were originally responsible for transporting personnel to evacuate experienced malfunctions in a remote area of Iran and were unable to take off. The U.S. urgently mobilized another 3 aircraft to complete the evacuation, and destroyed the two disabled transport aircraft to prevent them from falling into Iran’s hands.

Iran says it shot down three U.S. search-and-rescue military aircraft

Meanwhile, according to reports from the Iranian side, on the 5th, the Iranian Armed Forces’ Hatem Anbia Central Command said that Iran’s forces shot down two “Black Hawk” helicopters and one C-130 transport aircraft of the U.S. military that participated in the rescue operation.

On April 3, a U.S. Air Force F-15E “Strike Eagle” two-seat fighter aircraft was shot down over Iran, and the two pilots ejected to escape. The U.S. military then deployed search-and-rescue aircraft and helicopters into Iran, rescuing one pilot.