The other side of the much hyped rescue of the American pilot.
. Iran claims it shot down multiple U.S. aircraft during the rescue attempt
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and armed forces said that during what they described as the U.S. rescue operation for the downed pilot, Iranian units destroyed several enemy aircraft. They specifically mentioned downed U.S. transport C‑130s and two Black Hawk helicopters, and said they also shot down an Israeli drone in the same region.
2. Iran portrays the rescue mission as a failure
A spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al‑Anbiya Central Headquarters — the senior military command — said the U.S. operation “ended in complete failure,” claiming Iranian forces thwarted the attempt to extract the pilot. According to this statement, the rescue was conducted as a deception under a “pretext of saving their downed pilot” and was repelled by the Iranian Armed Forces.



