Multiple US aircraft destroyed as Trump claims successful rescue of missing pilot from Iran

IRGC says two C‑130 military transport aircraft, two Black Hawk helicopters belonging to US Army were destroyed

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday that the rescue operation launched by the US has again failed, contrary to what President Trump earlier claimed-that the mission was successful and the pilot had been rescued.

In a statement on X, the IRGC Public Relations said that, following the desperate actions of the American enemy to rescue the downed fighter pilot and the entry of enemy aircraft into the centre of the country, a joint operation involving the Air Force, Ground Forces, Popular Mobilisation Units, Basij, and law enforcement was conducted.

“According to subsequent data and field investigations conducted by experts, two C‑130 military transport aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters belonging to the US Army were destroyed by what has been described as the ‘Divine Promise’ and the firepower of the Armed Forces, further deepening the US Army’s successive losses,” the statement said.

IRGC Public Relations regarding Pilot Rescue :

"The Rescue Operation has again Failed !!"

Following the desperate actions of the American enemy to rescue the downed fighter pilot and the enemy aircraft's entry into the center of the country, in a joint operation (Air Force,… https://t.co/NkUfZ2u6Vk pic.twitter.com/r9jfeYS8iP

— True Promise - الوعد الصادق ✪🇮🇷 (@IRTruePromise) April 5, 2026

IRGC said that the US once again suffered a humiliating defeat, similar to the Tabas operation, adding that Trump, to cover up his heavy defeat, claimed in a tweet that a special operation had been conducted to rescue the pilot of the plane that crashed in Iran.

"Trump the gambler, the god of Tabas sands is still here," it said. "On April 24, 1980, the US military carried out a covert operation in Iran under the orders of then president Jimmy Carter. The operation, known as Eagle Claw, failed due to major sandstorms in the central Tabas desert and resulted in the death of American soldiers. Iranians believe the sands were the agents of God."

It added that Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini referred to the sands of the Tabas desert as "agents of God." The desperate efforts of the enemy, by the grace of Almighty God and divine assistance, and through the timely actions and joint operations of the warriors of Islam in the IRGC, the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the heroic Basij, and law enforcement forces, to rescue their downed fighter pilot, have failed.

مقر خاتم الأنبياء المركزي: فشل جهود العدو في إنقاذ طياره خلال عملية مشتركة للحرس الثوري والجيش والشرطة

- اعادة نشر

مشاهد من إسقاط طائرات العدو الامريكي خلال عملية محاولة انقاذ الطيار pic.twitter.com/li74TP5LlZ

— إيران بالعربية (@iraninarabic_ir) April 5, 2026

The IRGC emphasised that the incident demonstrated the US Army’s helplessness in this imposed conflict and proved it did not constitute a dominant force against the will of the Iranian Armed Forces.

It added that, following the operation, the US president was attempting to obscure the defeat through misleading statements and psychological tactics, issuing claims that do not reflect the reality on the ground, thereby underscoring the superiority of Iran’s military.

“Victory comes only from God, the Almighty, the Wise,” the statement concluded.

2 US helicopters hit during recovery efforts in Iranhttps://t.co/AC8KhuICF9

— The Hill (@thehill) April 5, 2026

The spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command, Ebrahim Zolfaqari, said the so‑called US Army rescue operation ended in complete failure.

“Two C‑130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters of the US Army were destroyed by the sacred fire of the Islamic Army in the powerful armed forces,” he added.

The so-called rescue operation of the US Army ended in complete failure

Two C130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters of the US Army were destroyed by the sacred anger fire of the Islamic army in the powerful armed forces pic.twitter.com/vzBRxGsjI8

— True Promise - الوعد الصادق ✪🇮🇷 (@IRTruePromise) April 5, 2026

US rescues airman as Trump, Israel pressure Iran ahead of deadline

 

The United States rescued an airman caught behind enemy lines after Iran shot down his F-15 fighter ​jet, the US government said early on Sunday, resolving a crisis for President Donald Trump with the war on Iran in its sixth week.

The rescue is ‌a bright spot for the United States in a war that has killed thousands, sparked an energy crisis and threatens lasting damage to the world economy after Iran virtually shut the vital Strait of Hormuz.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “WE GOT HIM! … the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History… [he] is now SAFE and SOUND!”

He said the officer, a colonel, had been “behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran” and was being pursued by enemy forces before being recovered.

“At my direction, the US Military sent dozens of aircraft… to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine,” Trump added in the post.

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116350133044957842

Trump and Israel on Saturday stepped up pressure on Iran to open the strait, which usually carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas, or face attacks on energy facilities.

Trump gives Iran Monday deadline for peace deal

The injured airman was the last remaining to be retrieved from the two crew members from the warplane Iran said on Friday it had brought ​down with its air defences, triggering a high-profile search by both Tehran and the United States.

"Over the past several hours, the United States ⁠Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History," Trump said in a statement posted by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on ​X.

FROM PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP

WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly…

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) April 5, 2026

Although injured, the colonel "will be just fine," Trump said. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump, who has threatened to hit Iranian power plants if his demands were ​not met, indicated his deadline for Tehran to reach a deal to end the war was around 10 am ET (1400 GMT) on Monday.

"Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD!" he posted on Truth Social on Saturday morning.

As the war has escalated, ​Trump has repeatedly mixed hints of diplomatic progress with threats to bomb the Islamic Republic "back to the Stone Ages."

Adding to the pressure, a senior Israeli defence official said Israel ​was preparing to attack Iranian energy facilities within the next week, and was awaiting approval from the United States.

Read: Iran mocks Trump's 48-hour 'ultimatum rant'

But a defiant Iran warned the "entire region will become a hell for you" if the United ‌States and ⁠Israel escalated attacks, Iranian media said.

Chances for peace talks, which Pakistan is seeking to broker between Washington and Tehran, appear to remain slim, and polls show low US public support for the war.

Iran wants 'lasting end to illegal war'

Still, Iran's foreign minister left the door open for the talks.

"What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us," Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X, adding that Iran had never refused to go to Islamabad, which he thanked for its efforts.

After a ​fourth attack near the Bushehr power plant ​on Saturday, Araqchi warned the United Nations ⁠of an "intolerable situation that poses a serious risk of radiological release," state media said.

Iran warns US, Israel that 'entire region will become hell for you' if escalation continues

Iran warned the United States and Israel that continued military escalation in the region would have devastating consequences, according to Iranian state media. The warning came after US President Trump issued a stark 48‑hour ultimatum to Iran.