More details. “‘Safe and sound’: How a U.S. Airman Shot Down in Iran Was Rescued From a Mountain Crevice,” Time, 4-6-26. A defense official told Axios that the pilot and the airman “were spread apart by a couple miles” with “hundreds” of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) soldiers “everywhere.” … After the crash landing, the colonel hiked up a 7,000-foot mountain ridgeline and hid in a crevice. While evading capture, he activated an emergency beacon, which allowed U.S. forces to locate him, two U.S. officials told Fox News. A military official told the New York Times that the airman’s signaling was intermittent. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was at the center of the operation, launching a deception campaign to throw Iranian officials off, according to Axios. It said CIA operatives spread a false campaign within Iran that both crew members of the downed F-15 jet had already been found and that U.S. forces were working on exfiltration, trying to confuse Iranian officials who were also working to capture the officer. Trump told Axios that U.S. officials initially suspected the airman might be in Iranian captivity and “sending false signals” to create a trap. The airman had sent a short radio message that said “God is good,” a defense official told Axios. (Trump told the outlet the message said “Power be to God” and that “what he said on the radio sounded like something a Muslim would say.”) The CIA used special technology to locate the airman and determine that it was him, an official told the Times. The CIA also reportedly facilitated an “unconventional assisted recovery,” a process in which the agency contacts civilians willing to aid or shelter U.S. military forces, Axios reported. While the airman was hiding in the mountains, IRGC said it was searching the area near where the pilot’s plane came down, and Iranian officials issued a public plea for locals to find the crew member, offering a reward of $60,000. Videos posted online showed locals from the area where the jet went down forming search parties to find the airman. According to the Times, U.S. aircraft dropped bombs on convoys that approached the area where the airman was hiding. When the airman was found, he was taken to two MC-130J aircraft that were waiting nearby to exfiltrate him out of the country. But the aircraft malfunctioned, which led to U.S. forces destroying the two disabled planes and four helicopters, the Times reported. The commandos and injured airman were eventually reloaded onto three replacement aircraft, according to the Times.” I’m waiting to hear how the airman was transported from hiding place to waiting aircraft (that had to be destroyed). What a story, wait for the movie. And you didn’t hear this from me, right? Do you remember that Russia and China are providing targeting information to Iran? Do you think if they could read where the pilot was hiding from his emergency beacon that they would have passed that on to Iran?
“Trump and Hegseth on Iran war: ‘God is good’,” CNN, 4-6-26. A word about the confusion reported at Langley about the first transmission, God is Good. They thought it was a trap? Then they weren’t thinking. I’m guessing the Backseat/Dude 44 was distinguishing himself from Allahu Akbar (Arabic: God is Great, God is Greater, God is the greatest) and wanted them to know it was him, not an enemy. Otherwise the one writing would have used the correct phrase. There is another angle here, that he wanted to give glory to the Almighty simultaneous with reporting that he was okay and ready for rescue. As an aside, with Artemis II circling the Moon, I think back to the famous words of Neil Armstrong, knowing that the world was listening. Well, here you have a downed airman, knowing that good forces and bad were both listening. And that the population at large would one day read his words. Not too much of a stretch—think before you speak, what both Armstrong and Dude 44 did. (BTW, in case you’re wondering, Iranians say Allah Akbar also but don’t use it as a threat but as a spiritual/emotional expression).
“Iran says intelligence chief killed by US-Israeli strike, as Trump threatens ‘hell’ if deal not made,” BBC, 4-6-26. Israel has struck the IRGC intelligence chief Majid Khademi. See also “Slain IRGC spy chief led operations against Israel, US, IDF says,” Iran International, 4-6-26. “Majid Khademi, the head of the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence arm killed in Tehran on Sunday, was involved in activities against Israel, the US, and Iranian dissidents, the Israeli military said on Monday. “Khademi worked to advance terrorist activities against the State of Israel and against Jewish targets worldwide. He also took part in attempts to target American individuals and was responsible for monitoring Iranian civilians as part of the regime’s suppression of internal protests,” read the statement by Israel Defense Forces. The IDF described him as a key figure in operations directed both abroad and inside Iran.”
Just yesterday, much of the world condemned the Knesset law allowing the death penalty for Palestinians killing Jews in the West Bank. But where is the condemnation from Iran’s Parliament approval of the death penalty for protesters? See “Death penalty one of many tactics used by Iranian regime to prevent further protests,” BBC, 4-6-26. “From what people have told me from the capital, on some nights, aside from the sound of strikes and explosions, there is another noise that prevents people from sleeping. It is the sound of patrols moving through the streets with the Islamic Republic’s flag and loudspeakers which can reinforce a constant sense of control. Other tactics have also been used, including checkpoints appearing across cities, the internet blackout, and mass text warnings sent to residents. These measures limit communication, making it more difficult for protests to form and spread.” BTW, just to make it clear that I don’t endorse the new law in Israel, here on this blog I fully stand behind the points of the article, “The death penalty law for Palestinians convicted of deadly acts of terror is unconstitutional,” Times of Israel, 4-3-26.
“Israel killed Quds Force Unit 840 commander, Netanyahu says,” Iran International, 4-6-26. “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel killed Asghar Bakri – aka Yazdan Mir or Commander Bagheri – the head of Unit 840 in Iran’s IRGC-Quds Force, in an overnight operation, according to a post on X. Netanyahu said Bakri had been responsible for attacks targeting Jews and Israelis around the world. He also said Israel killed Majid Khademi, the head of IRGC intelligence, describing him as a senior figure who had recently taken up the post after his predecessor was killed. “Whoever acts to murder our citizens, whoever directs terror against the State of Israel, whoever builds the Iranian axis of evil, bears responsibility for his own blood,” Netanyahu said.” It really is quite striking that after years of Iran trying to kill Israel, putting the Ayatollah’s words into actions, that Israel is finally able to stop much of this, certainly to deter. Intelligence agencies and militaries around the world competely understand what is going on here.
More details. The noses of the C-130s sunk, which will be subject of evaluation. “A Harrowing Race Against Time to Find a Downed U.S. Airman in Iran,” NYT, 4-6-26. “A senior U.S. official described the rescue mission as one of the most challenging and complex in the history of U.S. Special Operations. The commandos had to contend with the mountainous terrain, the Iranian forces that they assumed would rush to attack them and the injured airman’s health, which remained uncertain. As the commandos landed on the objective, U.S. and Israeli warplanes dropped bombs whose bright orange blasts lit up the silhouettes of the surrounding mountains. From his hiding place, the weapons officer alerted his rescuers to the areas they should target for strikes, where he could see Iranians advancing, one senior military official said. The commandos fired their weapons ferociously to keep any Iranians in the area from advancing toward them. But they did not engage in a firefight with enemy forces. U.S. officials described the territory where the airman was hiding as strongly opposed to the Iranian regime and said it was unclear how close Iranian forces ever got to the site. He was rushed to a helicopter that whisked him off to a sandy, austere airstrip inside Iran that Special Operations forces had previously developed for possible rescues or other contingencies. The plan was to immediately load the airman and the rescue force onto two C-130 aircraft that were supposed to carry them out of danger to an airfield in Kuwait. But, in a final twist, the nose gear of at least one, and possibly both, of those planes got stuck in the sandy dirt at the airstrip, military officials said. Hours passed. Efforts to free the stuck wheels failed, so the commandos called in three replacement aircraft. … Eventually the commandos and the injured weapons system operator were reloaded onto three newly arrived replacement aircraft. After the rescue team left, American warplanes bombed the two disabled planes and four MH-6 Special Operations helicopters rather than let them fall into Iranian hands. As the sun was rising, the three planes launched in succession from the remote airstrip. The plane carrying the rescued airman went first followed by the others. When word reached the White House that the aircraft had cleared Iranian airspace, Mr. Trump announced the mission’s success. … All of the commandos were safe and accounted for. There were no U.S. casualties.”
Notice that with the death of the two officials over the weekend, there was not a statement from “the third ayatollah” Mojtaba Khamenei. Maybe there’s a reason. See “The Latest Blows to Iran’s Leadership,” NYT, 4-6-26.
“Iran pushes back against Trump’s deadline,” NPR, 4-6-26.
“Pakistan-backed proposal sketches two-phase deal to halt hostilities,” Iran International, 4-6-26.
It is an interesting thought to debate whether the terrorists (IRGC, Houthis) have grown so powerful they now threaten the entire world (trade and power) or if they have grown so desperate they now endanger themselves from the world’s ire? See “Iran threatens Bab al-Mandeb closure: How would that affect world trade?,” Al Jazeera, 4-6-26.
This was no ordinary university. Its professors conducted some of the nuclear weapons program research. Too bad the article didn’t mention this. “Iran’s top university bombed as US, Israel intensify attacks; 34 killed,” Al Jazeera, 4-6-26.
“Iran withholds body of executed teen protester,” Iran International, 4-6-26. This is a typical example of Iranian justice. “Judicial authorities accused the detainees of attempting to access an armory. After interrogations that involved severe psychological pressure, they were transferred to Ghezel Hesar prison, the source said. The defendants were denied in-person visits during detention and were only allowed phone calls. Their trial was held by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, and they were denied access to a lawyer of their choice. Death sentences were issued on February 7. Iran International sources said the confessions in the case were obtained under coercion and that the judicial process led to executions without full awareness of the defendants and their families.”
“5 Men Now Running Iran,” FDD, 4-6-26. See the article for a description of the criticized background and acts of each man. “Regime survival now hinges on key figures across the parliament, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), the judiciary, and national law enforcement.” They are:
1. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf
2. SNSC Chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr
3. IRGC Commander Ahmad Vahidi
4. Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei
5. Law Enforcement Command Chief Ahmad-Reza Radan
“The Iran War Around the World,” WSJ, 4-6-26.
