While Iran stumbled to locate a downed U.S. airman, the CIA waged a successful deception campaign...

[PeaceWave]

That the U.S. has Iranian civilians on the ground willing to help has to be embarrassing for an Iranian regime whose bounty on an American went unclaimed.

https://time.com/article/2026/04/05/-safe-and-sound-how-a-u-s-airman-shot-down-in-iran-was-rescued-from-a-mountain-crevice/

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.

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.

[leftstreet]

1. I don't believe a word they tell us n/t

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. FULL DISCLOSURE: A senior administration official said ...

We haven't heard anything about this rescue that has not been carefully orchestrated by the White House.

https://www.axios.com/2026/04/05/iran-f15-crew-member-rescued

Behind the scenes: A senior administration official told Axios that prior to locating the weapons system officer, the CIA launched a deception campaign by spreading word inside Iran that U.S. forces had already found him and were attempting a ground exfiltration.

[BeyondGeography]

3. But somehow they located his jet when he was flying in it

[Volaris]

5. Must be one of those magic radars that still works after we blew it up.

Yeah, that it.. damn those clever magical bastards!

[Klarkashton]

4. CIA provides a bullshit story to the media and they buy it

Without a second thought.

[gulliver]

6. After what the media did to Biden over Afghanistan...

...I was very worried.

Biden ended the war in Afghanistan. It has preserved countless American lives since. But, to the media, it will always be the "disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan." There were videos of people running after planes, and there was a terrorist attack on our troops. And that defined the whole thing for our MSM, left and right.

If this airman had been caught by the Islamic Republic goons, I don't even want to think about how it would have gone.

[S/V Loner]

7. The CIA is in the business of...

making up shit to get a specific outcome.

[Melon]

10. Yeah. That's the definition really forever.

[OC375]

8. I'd hope so. It's sorta their jobs.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

9. Sources, sources, sources

[AloeVera]

11. Hmmmm...

Videos posted online showed locals from the area where the jet went down forming search parties to find the airman. According to the New York Times, U.S. aircraft dropped bombs on convoys that approached the area where the airman was hiding.

Uhh, so the locals were BOMBED? Just how murderous WAS this rescue? How many Iranian civilian lives taken? Asking for innocent civilians from Gaza, Lebanon and now Iran...

Oh well...

USA! USA! USA!