48-HOUR RESCUE INSIDE IRAN HOUR BY HOUR 

APRIL 3  

• F-15E Strike Eagle (Viper 21) shot down by Russian missile over southwestern Iran.  
• Mach 2.8 intercept, proximity fuse detonation.  
• Both crew eject successfully.

HOUR 0  

• Pilot recovered within minutes by ground team.  
• WSO lands alone, injured (broken ankle), deep in enemy territory.

HOURS 1-4  

• WSO starts evasion using night and terrain.  
• IRGC launches massive manhunt with drones and dogs.

HOURS 4-8  

• Thousands of Iranian civilians join the search for bounties.  
• U.S. jams Iranian radars and communications.

HOURS 8-12  

• WSO climbs 7,000-ft ridge despite injury.  
• U.S. strikes crater roads to block IRGC reinforcements.

HOURS 12-18  

• WSO reaches ridge top, hides in rocky crevice.  
• Makes first brief radio contact with friendly forces.

HOURS 18-24  

• A-10 Warthog shot down by Chinese MANPADS.  
• Pilot safely recovered by naval assets.

HOURS 24-30  

• Two HH-60W rescue helicopters hit by ground fire during attempt.  
• Crews wounded but return to base.

HOURS 30-36  

• U.S. escalates with cruise missile strikes on IRGC air defenses.  
• WSO survives near-miss drone strike, relocates under fire.

HOURS 36-42  

• Nighttime full extraction launched.  
• Special operations teams insert and engage IRGC in firefight.

HOURS 42-48  

• WSO located, stabilized on site, and extracted under heavy fire.

APRIL 5 — EARLY HOURS  

• WSO pulled out alive and conscious.  
• Both F-15E crew members safe.

An Israeli source claims that elite Israeli commando units, Shaldag and Sayeret Matkal, participated alongside US forces in a high-risk mission to rescue a downed American pilot deep inside Iran. 

According to the report, the complex operation lasted approximately 36 hours and involved coordinated efforts between the two allies. During the mission, a US helicopter reportedly came under fire but managed to return safely to base. The operation highlights the depth of operational cooperation between Israel and the US in confronting the Iranian regime, as well as the risks taken to recover personnel in hostile territory.

New details on the US pilot rescue

New details that we published in the edition about the rescue operation of the American navigator

In the first hours, the navigator did not communicate or send a distress signal because he was unconscious and suffered from a concussion.

On Friday at 12:00 noon: initial contact was made.

He climbed to the highest point he found to avoid being caught by Iranian vehicles. He walked 10-12 km, hid in a crevice, and from there on Friday night sent an exact coordinate
Israel refrained from attacking the area and assisted with intelligence.

During Friday and Saturday, Israel was asked to assist in air superiority efforts in the area and attacked relevant targets there.
18 km from the place where he was hiding, the Americans took control of an agricultural air field and secured it. Two planes and small helicopters landed there.

The helicopters flew to extract him from the crevice where he was hiding and returned him to the agricultural field.

At takeoff: two C30 planes got stuck in the sand. Three smaller planes were called in and they took the navigator and the special forces.
 
Fighter jets bombed the two planes that remained in the area so they would not fall into the hands of the Iranians.

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