How Israel’s intelligence helped US rescue airman in Iran?

Israel aided US airman rescue in Iran with intelligence support, official says

Israel provided intelligence support to the United States during a high-risk operation to rescue a stranded US airman in Iran and paused its own strikes in the area to facilitate the mission, an Israeli security official told Reuters. The development comes after the US confirmed the rescue of both crew members of an F-15E fighter jet that had been shot down by Iranian forces.

US President Donald Trump announced the recovery, calling it “one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History.” “WE GOT HIM!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding the officer is now “SAFE and SOUND” after being stranded “behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran.”

He said the pilot was injured but “will be just fine,” and had taken refuge in mountainous terrain while US forces monitored his position “24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue.”

US officials said the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) played a key role through a deception campaign, spreading misinformation inside Iran that the airman had already been moved overland.

The effort helped mislead Iranian forces and aided US teams in locating the airman. A US official described the situation as a “needle in a haystack” scenario, saying, “A courageous American hidden within a mountain crevice, undetectable by conventional means but revealed through CIA intelligence.”

The multi-day mission involved special forces on the ground, supported by dozens of aircraft and helicopters. Reports said US forces engaged Iranian units during the final extraction phase. To support the operation, US troops also established a temporary airstrip, where some aircraft became immobilised and were later destroyed before evacuation.

Israeli support reportedly included intelligence sharing and possible strikes, though officials denied claims that Israeli commandos were directly involved. Iranian state media later reported finding wreckage of US aircraft and claimed they had been shot down, a claim disputed by US officials.