Iran Claims US Pilot Rescue Operation May Be a Hoax to Steal Enriched Uranium
AFP reported that a US F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran on the 3rd. The pilot of the two crew members was rescued shortly after, and the other pilot was reportedly rescued yesterday. US President Donald Trump described it as a "daring" search and rescue operation. However, the Iranian military claims to have hit several US aircraft involved in the mission, forcing them to make "emergency landings" in Isfahan province. Iranian officials suggest the US operation was a "complete failure" and potentially a deceptive maneuver to steal enriched uranium, citing discrepancies in the alleged rescue location.
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- 📰 Published: April 6, 2026 at 23:38
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AFP reported that a US F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran on the 3rd. The pilot, one of two crew members on board, was rescued shortly after, and the other pilot was reportedly rescued yesterday. US President Donald Trump described it as a "daring" search and rescue operation.
However, the Iranian military stated that they hit several US military aircraft reportedly performing this mission, forcing these planes to make "emergency landings" in Iran's central Isfahan province. The US side was also forced to heavily bomb the initially downed aircraft.
The Iranian military firmly maintained that the US search and rescue operation was a "complete failure," calling it a "mission of deception and evasion."
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei also stated today that the operation was a "disaster" for the United States, and that there were "many questions and uncertainties" surrounding it.
He pointed out that the pilot the US intended to rescue was allegedly located in Iran's southern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province. Still, this location is far from the central Iranian region where the US military attempted or hoped to land. Therefore, "the possibility that this was a deceptive operation to steal enriched uranium should not be ruled out in the slightest." (Translated by: Chang Cheng-chien)1150406
However, the Iranian military stated that they hit several US military aircraft reportedly performing this mission, forcing these planes to make "emergency landings" in Iran's central Isfahan province. The US side was also forced to heavily bomb the initially downed aircraft.
The Iranian military firmly maintained that the US search and rescue operation was a "complete failure," calling it a "mission of deception and evasion."
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei also stated today that the operation was a "disaster" for the United States, and that there were "many questions and uncertainties" surrounding it.
He pointed out that the pilot the US intended to rescue was allegedly located in Iran's southern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province. Still, this location is far from the central Iranian region where the US military attempted or hoped to land. Therefore, "the possibility that this was a deceptive operation to steal enriched uranium should not be ruled out in the slightest." (Translated by: Chang Cheng-chien)1150406