The US military’s special forces have conducted a daring real-life rescue operation deep into enemy territory in Iran, showcasing their combat skills and survival abilities to the world and their adversaries. Retired Australian Major General and military expert Mick Ryan stated that no other country’s military could achieve such a feat.
According to CNN reports, Ryan, a senior researcher at the Lowy Institute, emphasized that a rescue operation of this scale required multiple branches of the military and their partners to collaborate in joint operations.
He added that once the US confirms a plane crash, “the US Air Force, US Army Special Forces, and various other agencies immediately come together, formulate a crash rescue plan, and propose a series of different options to rescue the two crew members.”
“No other military in the world can truly accomplish a mission like the US military,” he said.
Last Friday, a US F-15E fighter jet was shot down in Iran’s Khuzestan Province, with two crew members ejecting to safety. The US successfully rescued one pilot on the same day and launched an extensive search and rescue operation for the other crew member.
Khuzestan Province, where the jet crashed, is home to Arab tribes who oppose the Iranian central government. This means that the Iranian government has deployed a larger-than-normal armed presence to suppress potential protests, posing greater risks to the US military’s rescue operation.
Jim Hanson, a chief strategist and counterterrorism expert at the Middle East Forum who served in the US Army Special Forces, noted the heightened presence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij militia in the region to suppress tribal protests. He also suggested that the Iranian regime might mobilize as many people as possible to capture the missing US military crew members.
Retired Australian Major General Ryan pointed out that due to the inherent risks of crossing Iranian airspace during rescue operations, the US military carefully evaluates Iran’s air defense environment when formulating rescue plans. However, they have an advantage as Iran’s defense capabilities have been significantly weakened over the past month of conflict.
“To date, the US military has carried out over 10,000 missions (against Iran) with the loss of only one combat aircraft,” he said, “so I think overall, the US Air Force has been quite successful in (suppressing Iran’s air defense systems).”
Combat search and rescue missions are extremely dangerous. Aircraft typically fly at low altitudes, with jet fighters, drones, or other armed aircraft providing support. Low-altitude, slow-speed flying also increases vulnerability to ground or anti-aircraft fire. In a typical helicopter rescue mission, elite forces armed with door-mounted machine guns scan the ground for enemy threats. If the helicopter comes under attack, the machine gunner’s mission is to clear the landing area and then rescue the ground crew.
US President Trump announced early Sunday that the special forces successfully rescued the second crew member. He once again praised the US military’s capabilities, stating, “We have the most outstanding, professional, and deadly military in world history. God bless America, God bless our military.”
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu released a video statement on Sunday, congratulating President Trump on the “incredible” rescue operation by the US military.
“This rescue operation reaffirms the sacred principle: no one will be left behind,” he said.