Washington, April 7 The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has played a critical role in locating a stranded US airman deep inside Iran, deploying covert capabilities and deception tactics in what officials described as a race against time.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the mission relied on both human intelligence and advanced surveillance tools.
“We deployed both human assets and exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service in the world possesses,” he said.
He described the effort as “comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert”.
The downed airman had ejected into hostile terrain and remained hidden for nearly two days while evading Iranian forces. Ratcliffe said speed and secrecy were essential to prevent capture.
“It was critical that we locate the downed aviator as quickly as possible, while at the same time, keeping our enemies misdirected,” he said.
To achieve that, the CIA executed “a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians who were desperately hunting for our airman”.
Ratcliffe said the breakthrough came on Saturday morning when intelligence assets confirmed that the airman was alive and concealed in mountainous terrain.
“We achieved our primary objective by finding and providing confirmation that one of America’s best and bravest was alive,” he said.
President Trump offered additional details, saying intelligence teams tracked movement from a long distance. “We’re seeing something moving up in the mountain… 40 miles away,” he said, adding that after sustained observation, “they said, we have him.”
The CIA’s confirmation allowed the military to launch the second, larger rescue operation involving a significant force package.
Officials said the mission demonstrated the integration of intelligence and military capabilities, with real-time coordination enabling precise targeting and rapid response.
Ratcliffe emphasised that many aspects of the operation remain classified. “Covert means exactly that, I’m not going to be able to tell you everything,” he said.
The success of the mission also reflected coordination between intelligence agencies and military units operating in hostile conditions, where even minor delays could have led to capture or worse.
The operation comes amid broader US military action in Iran, where officials say thousands of sorties have been conducted in recent weeks.
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