【Behind the Rescue of the Pilot: The U.S. Military Almost Secured the Victory Trump Announced】 Shortly after the U.S. F-15E fighter jet crashed, Hegseth and Cain reported to Trump about the missing pilot.

They informed the president that the Department of Defense had already prepared contingency plans for rescuing this pilot.

After confirming the pilot’s identity, Hegseth sought Trump’s final authorization.

Trump said: “We have to get him (We have to get him).”

Shortly after landing, the pilot reached a higher ridge and activated his emergency beacon, establishing contact with the outside world—proving he was still alive. U.S. personnel attempted to track his location, but communication between both sides was intermittent.

This marked the first time in over 20 years that a U.S. military pilot had fallen into hostile territory.

The pilot remained hidden alone in a remote mountain crevice for nearly two days as Iranian forces and militia units advanced using helicopters and drones.

The colonel on the airwaves said: “God is good.”

This message was initially suspected to be an Iranian trap.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the first rescue attempt ended in failure. Two H-6 helicopters were hit by small arms fire, injuring crew members onboard. They eventually made an emergency landing in Kuwait.

Two MC-130J aircraft landed at a temporary forward operating base inside Iran—but their front wheels sank into the ground, rendering them unable to take off.

If there was ever a moment of reckoning, it was then.

An alternative contingency plan: three small aircraft carrying specialized teams subsequently flew to a remote assembly point.

In parallel, the CIA deliberately leaked information through multiple channels claiming they were evacuating valuable assets by sea from Iran.

The purpose was to divert Iranian military forces away from the actual location of the rescue team.

The Israeli military also coordinated airstrikes.

Time was critical. Iran’s regular army, pro-regime militias, and Revolutionary Guard—all three forces—were hunting the pilot, given the $66,000 bounty offered.

They deployed helicopters and drones for surveillance and pursuit.

The United States countered with MQ-9 Reaper drones and other aircraft to oppose Iranian trackers.

The exact proximity between Iranian military units and weapon operators remains unclear.

U.S. officials stated: “Within eight hours, we had aircraft airborne. Less than twelve hours later, we were in Iran.”

100 special operations troops were dispatched to Iran. SEAL Team Six ultimately extracted the pilot—the so-called “Easter miracle.”

Afterward, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard released a photo showing a U.S. soldier’s skull discovered among the wreckage of a C-130. The C-130 can carry between 64 and 92 people.

Larry Johnson, a former CIA operative, said yesterday actually represented a failed ground invasion operation. At the time the downed F-15E was preparing for a large-scale ground assault on Natanz nuclear facilities.

The rescue mission ultimately came at a great cost.

Trump rebranded it into a legendary rescue saga.

WE GOT HIM!

Not a single word mentioned the aircraft.

This rescue likely forced the premature activation and exposure of a secret drop zone—intended for an airborne assault on Isfahan’s nuclear facility—a remote agricultural dirt runway previously surveyed and deemed suitable for basic takeoff and landing.

This facility was meant to support a covert operation to steal uranium from Isfahan.

After the pilot became trapped, Trump faced a decision: rescue the pilot or activate this uranium-stealing staging point prematurely?

He chose to rescue the pilot.

Thus, a turning point emerged—the rescue mission was unplanned, yet it triggered an existing larger operation designed to allow Trump to declare victory in war. However, due to the aircraft being shot down and personnel parachuting, the plan was forced into early execution.

Nevertheless, this sent a clear warning to Iran: the U.S. possesses the capability to conduct sustained, complex, multi-domain special operations across all of Iran, supported by robust command chains and intelligence infrastructure capable of sustaining such high-stakes operations.

They have the ability to do what they want.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861676984178953/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author