Iran Claims US Rescue Mission Foiled; Washington Says Airman Safe

Mangalore Today News Network

Tehran, April 5, 2026: Iran’s military on Sunday claimed it had “completely foiled” a United States operation to rescue an airman from a downed fighter jet, even as US President Donald Trump asserted that the officer had been successfully recovered and was “safe and sound.”

In a statement, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran’s central military command Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said the alleged rescue attempt—described as a deception and escape mission at an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan—had failed.

Speaking in a video broadcast on state television, Zolfaghari claimed that two C-130 transport aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters were destroyed during the operation. He further criticised the US leadership, accusing Trump of engaging in “empty rhetoric and diversion” despite what he described as Iran’s superior military position.

Iranian state media released images purportedly showing charred wreckage scattered across a desert area, with smoke still rising from the site.

Reports from Iranian media also indicated that at least five people were killed in strikes linked to the operation in the country’s southwest, though it remained unclear whether the victims were civilians or military personnel.

Since Friday, local media outlets have aired footage of residents, some carrying flags and firearms, searching for the downed aviator after authorities announced a reward for information regarding his whereabouts.