TEHRAN: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that a US-led rescue operation aimed at recovering a downed American pilot ended in complete failure, with multiple aircraft destroyed during the mission.
According to a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, the alleged US military rescue attempt was thwarted due to the timely presence and response of Iranian armed forces.
The operation, described by Iranian officials as a deceptive strategy, was reportedly designed to facilitate the rapid evacuation of a pilot who had been shot down near a deserted airstrip south of Isfahan.
The spokesperson stated that detailed on-ground assessments and expert investigations revealed that two C-130 military transport aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters belonging to US forces were destroyed during the failed mission.
The incident, they claimed, adds to what Iran describes as a سلسلة of ongoing US military setbacks in the region.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps further criticized the United States, alleging that its military has been weakened and demoralized in the face of what it called the resolve and strength of Iran’s armed forces.
The statement emphasized that, in the context of the ongoing conflict, the US cannot be considered a dominant or superior power.Iranian officials also accused US President Donald Trump of attempting to deflect from battlefield failures through psychological warfare and media narratives.
They claimed that his statements are an effort to shift attention away from what they described as clear evidence of Iran’s military superiority on the ground.
The IRGC concluded by describing the operation as a “proud and successful defensive action,” asserting that the realities on the battlefield demonstrate the strength and effectiveness of Iran’s armed forces despite US claims to the contrary.