April 6, 2026

The airman, whose plane was shot down Friday morning, had “hiked up a 7,000-foot ridgeline and wedged himself into a crevice,” the report said, citing American military officials, and echoing earlier statements by US President Donald Trump.

“From his hiding place, the weapons officer alerted his rescuers to the areas they should target for strikes, where he could see Iranians advancing,” the Times said, citing a senior military official.

The report said that Israel had worked with the US to gather intelligence to determine if the airman was alone, and had carried out strikes along with the US to provide cover to the American commandos during the rescue operation.

The newspaper noted that it was unclear how close Iranian forces got to the officer’s hiding place, adding that there was no firefight between US and Iranian troops, and that the area in which the officer fell is “strongly opposed to the Iranian regime,” according to US officials.

 

A shot-down American airman turned mountain fugitive allegedly clawed his way up a 7,000-foot ridgeline and hid in a crevice as Iranian forces advanced nearby, then guided rescuers on where to strike from his secret perch, according to US officials cited by the Times. Israel reportedly helped the US hunt for intelligence, while air strikes were used to shield American commandos during the tense rescue effort. But the exact danger remains murky: officials say it’s unclear how close Iranian troops got, there was no firefight, and the area where he fell is strongly opposed to the Iranian regime. Fans of the operation will also note the eerie 14-hour silence after the jet went down, before his location was finally pinned down with the help of a special CIA technology.

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