[News] Iran claims destruction of US aircraft following reported recovery of second F-15 airman

[Anti-Imperialist News]

 Iran claims destruction of US aircraft following reported recovery of
second F-15 airman

The US and Iran have made conflicting claims surrounding the destruction of
military aircraft involved in the rescue operation

News Desk <https://thecradle.co/authors/news-desk-9>

APR 5, 2026 -
https://thecradle.co/articles/iran-claims-destruction-of-us-aircraft-following-recovery-of-second-f-15-airman
(Photo credit: Iranian state media)

Iran announced
<https://tasnimnews.ir/fa/news/1405/01/16/3557223/%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C%D9%87-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%87-%D8%B4%DA%A9%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%86%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A2%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C>
on 5 April the destruction of multiple US aircraft, including two military
helicopters and two C-130 transport planes carrying US special forces
seeking to rescue a downed US fighter pilot.

The alleged rescue operation "ended in complete failure with the timely
presence of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran," a statement
issued by the spokesman for the Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said.

The statement said that US President Donald Trump was in a "state of panic"
and trying to hide the operation's failure, "through lies and psychological
warfare."

It also added that the helicopters and transport planes were shot down in a
joint operation involving the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), Army,
Basij paramilitary forces, and police commandos.

Iran released
<https://www.turkiyetoday.com/region/wreckage-of-us-c-130s-and-mh-6-helicopter-shown-in-iranian-footage-3217509?s=3>
images and video Sunday showing the charred wreckage of US military
aircraft destroyed at an abandoned airport south of Isfahan. US forces had
apparently used the airport as a makeshift base to launch the operation to
rescue a US pilot whose F-15 warplane was shot down on Friday.

Footage showed the destruction of at least two C-130 transport planes and
one MH-6 Little Bird special operations helicopter. The C-130 is a
specially equipped plane used to carry out covert infiltrations and extract
troops from behind enemy lines. The MH-6 is a lightweight helicopter used
by elite commando units.

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted an image from the
wreckage site on X with a pointed message: "If the United States gets three
more victories like this, it will be utterly ruined."

Saturday's special forces operation was launched after Iranian forces shot
down an F-15E warplane on Friday. It was the first US fighter jet lost to
enemy fire in over 20 years.

US officials claimed both F-15 crew members were successfully rescued in an
operation behind enemy lines and that all US personnel had successfully
exited Iran.

The first was rescued shortly after the crash, US officials claimed, while
the second was allegedly rescued after hiding in the mountains for two days
from Iranian forces searching for him.

Trump claimed that the second service member, a colonel, "sustained
injuries," but will be "just fine."

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has not issued a statement regarding the
pilot's fate.

CNN's national security analyst Alex Plitsas said
<https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/05/middleeast/operation-us-airman-iran-wwk-intl>
that had the second crew member been captured, he would have become a
"strategic bargaining chip" for Tehran.

US officials cited by the *Wall Street Journal *and other US outlets also
claimed that two transport planes got “stuck” at the remote base during the
rescue operation. After they were deliberately destroyed, three additional
US aircraft were dispatched to extract all personnel involved in the rescue
operation.

According
<https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/second-us-fighter-jet-downed-by-strait-of-hormuz-as-search-for-f-15e-crew-member-in-iran-continues>
to Fox News, at least one aircraft, possibly a C-130 Hercules, had become
"stuck in the mud."

The IRGC's public affairs office issued a statement accusing Trump of
fabricating a successful rescue to conceal "a heavy defeat."

"Trump the gambler, the God of the sands of Tabas is still here," the
statement said.

"Tabas" is a reference to the failed US operation ordered by US President
Jimmy Carter to rescue US embassy employees taken captive in Tehran shortly
after the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled the Shah.

In that operation, eight US special forces were killed when two of their
helicopters collided in the air over the Iranian desert. The operation was
an embarrassment for Carter, contributing to his defeat by Ronald Reagan in
the 1980 presidential election.

The Reagan White House went on to broker the sale of Israeli weapons to
Iran for use in the war against Iraq. The US also sold weapons to Iraq in a
bid to prolong the war and weaken both countries. According to some
estimates, over a million Iraqis and Iranians were killed in the eight-year
war.

This incident of the destroyed aircraft comes as Trump's deadline for Iran
to open the Strait of Hormuz approaches.

The US president claimed that "hell" will be unleashed if Iran does not
open the strategic waterway by Monday.

"Open the F***in' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell -
JUST WATCH!" wrote the president, adding: “Praise be to Allah.”

US and Israeli warplanes have been bombing Iran since 28 February.
According to the Pentagon, the US and Israel have struck over 12,300
targets. Iran has retaliated with multiple waves of drone and ballistic
missile strikes against Israel, as well as US bases and assets in the
Persian Gulf.
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