F-15E Pilot Radios for Help; US Military Suspected Iranian Trap
The rescue of one of the two US F-15E pilots shot down by Iran was delayed. It was revealed that the US military initially suspected the radio distress signal might be a trap set by Iran to lure them in, highlighting the operation's difficulty.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 6, 2026 at 22:16
- 🔍 Collected: April 6, 2026 at 23:27 (1h 11m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 7, 2026 at 00:23 (55 min after Collected)
Iran recently shot down a US two-seat F-15E fighter jet. Of the two pilots who ejected, one was rescued immediately, while the other was rescued after hiding for a period within Iranian territory.
Donald Trump stated that the Iranian military shot down the F-15E with a shoulder-fired missile, saying "they just got lucky." Approximately 200 special operations forces soldiers were mobilized for this rescue operation.
Axios reported that, according to Trump, the second pilot, a weapon systems officer, was hiding among mountain rocks, and the US military had already obtained "electronic signals" of his location.
However, a radio message caused US officials to suspect whether he had fallen into Iranian hands and that Iran was attempting to lure US forces into a trap by "sending false signals."
Trump said that after ejecting from the fighter jet, the weapon systems officer sent a brief but unusual radio message: "He said 'Power be to God'."
US defense officials confirmed Trump's account but stated the pilot's actual words were "God is good."
Trump stated bluntly, "What he said on the radio sounded like a Muslim." However, Trump immediately added that people who knew the pilot explained he was indeed a devout person, and such words were quite reasonable for him to say.
Defense officials also confirmed this statement: "The situation was not clear at first, but we persevered and finally confirmed he was alive and not captured. People who knew him said he was very devout."
Regarding the other F-15E pilot, Trump mentioned that he was quickly rescued by US forces during the daytime under intense Iranian firepower.
US defense officials explained that the first rescue operation on the 3rd of this month was "boldly and quickly completed" during the day, while the second was completed at night after establishing a temporary base inside Iran.
The official stated that the two pilots were several miles apart within Iran, and the area was swarming with hundreds of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) soldiers.
Additionally, Trump mentioned that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) provided "a slight" amount of help during the US military's search and rescue of the two pilots. According to US defense officials, Israel provided intelligence regarding the situation on the ground.
Israeli officials stated that the Israeli Air Force conducted an airstrike to prevent Iranian forces from reaching the incident area. (Translated by: Hong Pei-ying) 1150406
Donald Trump stated that the Iranian military shot down the F-15E with a shoulder-fired missile, saying "they just got lucky." Approximately 200 special operations forces soldiers were mobilized for this rescue operation.
Axios reported that, according to Trump, the second pilot, a weapon systems officer, was hiding among mountain rocks, and the US military had already obtained "electronic signals" of his location.
However, a radio message caused US officials to suspect whether he had fallen into Iranian hands and that Iran was attempting to lure US forces into a trap by "sending false signals."
Trump said that after ejecting from the fighter jet, the weapon systems officer sent a brief but unusual radio message: "He said 'Power be to God'."
US defense officials confirmed Trump's account but stated the pilot's actual words were "God is good."
Trump stated bluntly, "What he said on the radio sounded like a Muslim." However, Trump immediately added that people who knew the pilot explained he was indeed a devout person, and such words were quite reasonable for him to say.
Defense officials also confirmed this statement: "The situation was not clear at first, but we persevered and finally confirmed he was alive and not captured. People who knew him said he was very devout."
Regarding the other F-15E pilot, Trump mentioned that he was quickly rescued by US forces during the daytime under intense Iranian firepower.
US defense officials explained that the first rescue operation on the 3rd of this month was "boldly and quickly completed" during the day, while the second was completed at night after establishing a temporary base inside Iran.
The official stated that the two pilots were several miles apart within Iran, and the area was swarming with hundreds of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) soldiers.
Additionally, Trump mentioned that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) provided "a slight" amount of help during the US military's search and rescue of the two pilots. According to US defense officials, Israel provided intelligence regarding the situation on the ground.
Israeli officials stated that the Israeli Air Force conducted an airstrike to prevent Iranian forces from reaching the incident area. (Translated by: Hong Pei-ying) 1150406