A senior U.S. administration official revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency played a critical role in locating and enabling the rescue of a downed American airman in Iran through a sophisticated deception and intelligence operation.
According to the official, the CIA launched a deception campaign inside Iran, spreading false information that U.S. forces had already located the weapons systems officer (WSO) and were moving him on the ground for extraction. The move was intended to mislead Iranian forces and disrupt their search efforts.
Simultaneously, the CIA deployed its intelligence capabilities to locate the airman. The official described the effort as “the ultimate needle in a haystack,” emphasizing the difficulty of finding a single individual hidden in rugged mountainous terrain.
Once the WSO was identified, the CIA reportedly provided precise, real-time location data to the Pentagon, the U.S. military, and the White House.
Following confirmation of the airman’s position, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an immediate rescue operation. The mission was executed by the U.S. military, with the CIA continuing to supply live intelligence support throughout the operation.
The coordinated effort between intelligence and military assets enabled the successful recovery of the pilot from deep inside hostile territory, marking one of the most complex rescue missions of the conflict.
