Nearly 48 hours after Iran was able to shoot down an American F-15E Strike Eagle over its territory, the US military on Sunday was able to rescue second crew member of the downed jet, but only after a meticulous planning that even involved a “deception campaign” by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Now, fresh details have emerged about the “daring” rescue operation, with reports claiming that even Israel supported the American military in its campaign.
According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) acted in “cooperation” with the US military, launching a series of strikes against Iranian targets. Quoting sources, the Israeli media outlet reported that the strikes were conducted to act as a “diversion” to keep the Iranians away from the crash site and other areas.
The report stated that the main aim of the IDF was to ensure that Iran’s bid to reach to the downed crew member is “sabotaged and disrupted”. An official told the outlet that Israeli intelligence played a crucial role in ensuring the operation’s success.
“It was a US rescue mission; they did what many feared might not happen. Israel did what it could and what it was asked to do by the US military in order to help and save lives,” The Jerusalem Post quoted an Israeli military official as saying.
Involvement of Israeli special forces
As per Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) reports, the Israeli special forces participated in the rescue operation. The reports claimed that Sayeret Matkal and Shaldag were involved in the mission, helping the US forces in countering the Iranian threats in the area.
Sayeret Matkal is the general‑purpose commando unit of the IDF which is specialised in carrying out deep‑penetration and hostage‑rescue operations. On the other hand, the Shaldag is a unit of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) known for clandestine operations, reconnaissance, and combat search‑and‑rescue missions behind the enemy lines.
‘Bibi’ congratulates Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, popularly known as ‘Bibi’, said President Donald Trump has congratulated him for Tel Aviv’s help in the rescue operation. In an X (previously Twitter) post, he said he also held a talk with Trump, congratulating him over his “bold decision” to “perfectly execute” the operation to rescue the downed pilot.
“I am deeply proud that our cooperation on an off the battlefield is unprecedented, and that Israel could contribute to saving a brave American warrior,” Netanyahu said.
Recalling about the incident, it had happened on Friday. The US forces were able to rescue the pilot hours after the crash, but the weapons system officer (WSO) was missing. He evaded the Iranians for nearly 48 hours before being evacuated by the US military on Sunday. President Trump said the WSO is a colonel rank officer, who is injured but will recover soon.
ALSO READ – Commando unit, CIA deception campaign: Inside US military’s ‘daring’ op to rescue downed F-15 crew from Iran
