The United States pulled off a daring rescue of two aviators whose fighter jet was shot down by Iran, plucking the pilot from behind enemy lines before setting off a complicated extraction of the second service member who hid deep in the mountains as Tehran called for Iranians to help capture him.
The CIA looked to throw off Iran's government before the crew member was found, launching a deception campaign to spread word inside the Islamic Republic that the US had already located him.
Even as President Donald Trump and other US officials described an almost cinematic mission, rescuers faced major obstacles, including two Black Hawk helicopters coming under fire and problems with two transport planes that forced the US military to blow them up.
‘First time in military memory’
"This is the first time in military memory that two US Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory," Trump wrote early Sunday on his Truth Social platform. "WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND!"
In a pair of social media posts, Trump said the operation over the weekend required the US to remain completely silent to avoid jeopardizing the effort, even as the president and top members of his administration continuously monitored the airman's location.
The White House and the Pentagon refused to publicly discuss details about the downed fighter jet for well over 24 hours after the initial crash, particularly about the first crew member rescued from the F-15E Strike Eagle - an effort that Trump later said took seven hours in broad daylight over Iran.
The United States and Iran's government then were both racing to find the second crew member, a weapons systems officer, whose location neither side knew.
How CIA misled Iran
The CIA spread word in Iran that the US had found him and were moving him by ground to get him out of the country, according to a senior Trump administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.
The confusion allowed the CIA time to uncover the location of the service member, who was hiding in a mountain crevice, the official said.
He had climbed 7,000 feet (2,133 metres) despite being injured, said Sen. Dave McCormick, a Pennsylvania Republican who told "Fox News Sunday" that he was briefed by a senior administration official involved in the operation.
The intelligence agency sent the aviator's coordinates to the Pentagon and the White House, where Trump ordered a rescue operation.
Meanwhile, an anchor on a channel affiliated with Iranian state television had been urging residents in the mountainous region of southwest Iran where the fighter jet went down to hand over any "enemy pilot" to police and promised a reward for anyone who did.
Trump said the American aviator was being "hunted down" by enemies who were "getting closer and closer by the hour." The United States was monitoring his location continuously, he said.
At the right moment, Trump said, he directed the military to send dozens of heavily armed aircraft to rescue the crew member, who the president said is "seriously wounded" but will recover.
Major challenges
The American rescue mission ran into major challenges behind enemy lines. Iran's joint military command claimed it struck two US Black Hawk helicopters taking part in the operation.
A person familiar with the situation said the two helicopters were able to navigate to safe airspace, although it's unclear if they landed or if crew members were injured. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive information.
Then, the US military was forced to bring in additional aircraft to complete the rescue of the second service member due to a technical malfunction, according to a regional intelligence official briefed on the mission. The US blew up two transport planes it was forced to leave behind because of the mishap, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the covert mission.
"The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies," Trump said on social media.
Trump, however, did not mention that a second military jet also went down the same day as the F-15E.
Iranian state media said Friday that a US A-10 attack aircraft crashed after being struck by Iran's defence forces.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military situation, confirmed a second Air Force combat aircraft went down in the Middle East on Friday.
An additional US pilot was rescued but details were not available given the security concerns, another person familiar with the situation said.
Neither provided more information, including whether it was the A-10.