Trump details daring rescue of downed US airman in Iran

President Donald Trump described an extensive U.S. military operation to rescue a downed airman in Iran, involving a large-scale deployment of aircraft and strategic deception tactics.

According to Trump, the mission ultimately included 155 aircraft, among them four bombers, 64 fighter jets, 48 refueling tankers, and 13 rescue aircraft. He said much of the effort was designed to mislead Iranian forces, who were also searching for the missing crew member.

What they're saying:

"We were bringing them all over and a lot of it was subterfuge," Trump said in a news conference Monday. "We wanted to have them think he was in a different location."

The president said the downed weapons officer survived the crash and followed military protocol by quickly distancing himself from the crash site to avoid capture.

"When a plane crashes in hostile territory, they all head right to that site — you want to be as far away as you can," Trump said.

Despite being "bleeding profusely," the officer reportedly navigated mountainous terrain and successfully contacted U.S. forces to relay his position, prompting a large-scale rescue effort.

Trump said the initial response began Friday, when two airmen ejected from their aircraft and landed "deep in enemy territory." In the first wave, 21 aircraft were deployed, flying for hours under what he described as "very, very heavy enemy fire."

He added that at least one U.S. helicopter involved in the mission sustained significant damage from gunfire.

Trump threatens to jail journalist who first reported on downed airman

What they're saying:

Trump also threatened to jail the journalist who first reported that U.S. forces were searching for an F-15 weapons officer shot down in Iran, if they don’t reveal their sources.

"The person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say, and that doesn’t last long," Trump said.

Trump didn’t name the journalist or news organization. He said the leak tipped off the Iranians, endangering the officer and his rescuers. He called the leaker "a sick person."

Airman rescued in Iran

What they're saying:

In a social media post Sunday, Trump said the rescue of the "highly respected colonel" took place "deep inside the mountains of Iran." 

"The Iranian Military was looking hard, in big numbers, and getting close," Trump wrote on Truth Social. This type of raid is seldom attempted because of the danger to ‘man and equipment.’ It just doesn’t happen! … We rescued the pilot in broad daylight, also unusual, spending seven hours over Iran. An AMAZING show of bravery and talent by all!"

Dig deeper:

According to Fox News, the CIA deflected enemy attention with a "deception campaign."

RELATED: Inside the daring rescue of airman behind enemy lines: How CIA assisted with 'deception campaign'

The CIA reportedly spread word in Iran through multiple sources that U.S. forces had already found the second of two airmen who ejected from their F-15, and were moving him out of Iran in a maritime exfiltration elsewhere, sources told Fox News. That was designed to buy time to find the stranded weapons system officer.

The CIA picked up a distress signal, passing the intelligence on to the Pentagon and White House, which ordered the immediate rescue mission, Fox News reported. 

Once the CIA confirmed Saturday morning that it wasn’t a trap, the missing airman was located using advanced technical capabilities.

2 US planes downed in one day

The backstory:

The search for the crew member began after an F-15E fighter jet was shot down inside Iran on Friday. A second crew member was rescued shortly after the crash.

A second aircraft, an A-10 Warthog, was also reportedly hit by enemy fire Friday, but its pilot navigated the plane back to safe airspace before ejecting and being rescued, according to multiple reports. 

Both planes were hit two days after Trump boasted that the U.S. and Israel had destroyed Iran’s air defenses. 

"They have no anti-aircraft equipment. Their radar is 100% annihilated," Trump said Wednesday during a primetime address. 

RELATED: 2 US military planes shot down in separate incidents

Four U.S. military planes had gone down during the Iran war before the F-15 and A-10 on Friday, but the F-15E was the first U.S. aircraft lost in Iranian territory. 

In those previous incidents, three fighter jets were hit by friendly fire over Kuwait and a refueling tanker plane crashed in Iraq, killing six U.S. service members.