A three-word distress message from a stranded US F-15E airman was nearly dismissed by American officials as a possible Iranian trap, raising the risk that a critical rescue operation deep inside hostile territory might never have been launched.
US President Donald Trump told Axios that the weapons systems officer sent a brief and unusual radio message after ejecting from his aircraft.
“He said: ‘Power be to God,” Trump said.
The phrasing immediately raised alarm within US agencies. “What he said on the radio sounded like something a Muslim would say,” Trump told Axios, explaining that officials initially feared the message could be part of an Iranian deception.
Concerns grew that the airman might already have been captured and that Iran was “sending false signals” to lure US forces into a trap.
However, people who knew the officer later clarified that he was deeply religious, making the message consistent with his personal beliefs. A US defence official confirmed the account but said the exact phrase used was “God is good.” US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also posted the same words on X.
US F-15 Jet Shot Down Over Iran
The incident dates back to April 3, when an F-15E Strike Eagle — a twin-engine, two-seat interdiction fighter — was shot down over southwestern Iran.
The pilot was rescued shortly after ejecting, but the weapons systems officer remained missing, triggering a search that lasted more than 24 hours. The downing marked the first confirmed loss of a US combat aircraft inside Iran since the conflict began on February 28.
Trump claimed Iran used a shoulder-fired missile to hit the jet, adding, “They got lucky.”
Missing Crew’s Survival In Iranian Mountains
Injured and alone, the airman survived in rugged mountainous terrain while carrying a communication device, a tracking beacon, and a handgun.
He hid in a mountain crevice, kept moving to avoid detection, and at one point climbed a 7,000-foot ridgeline to stay ahead of search teams. Despite US efforts, his precise location remained unknown for more than a day.
Speaking after the rescue, Trump said, “thousands of these savages were hunting him down.”
“Even the population was looking for him. They offered people a bonus if they captured him,” he added.
CIA’s Race To Find Him
The Central Intelligence Agency eventually tracked the airman using what The New York Times described as “unique capabilities” as he moved across mountainous terrain while evading locals.
Before confirming his location, the CIA also ran a deception campaign, spreading information within Iran that US forces had already found him and were attempting a ground extraction. The aim was to buy time and divert Iranian search teams.
Once his exact position was identified, the intelligence was shared with the White House, the Pentagon and US military leadership.
High-Stakes Rescue Operation
A special forces team led by Navy SEAL Team 6 was inserted into the area on Saturday night to carry out the rescue mission. Around 200 special operations personnel were involved, according to Trump.
US aircraft reportedly struck Iranian convoys to prevent them from reaching the airman’s location during the operation.
Announcing the mission, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “This brave warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour.”
The airman, though injured, is expected to recover. No US personnel were killed or wounded during the operation.
Trump described the mission as “the first time in military memory that two US pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in enemy territory.”
Iran Denies Rescue Claim
Iran’s military, however, rejected the US account. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Khatam Al-Anbiya central command, said the operation had failed.
“The so-called US military rescue operation, planned as a deception and escape mission at an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan under the pretext of recovering the pilot of a downed aircraft, was completely foiled,” he said in a televised statement.
