Rescue Mission in Iran Reportedly Marks 'First US Boots on the Ground' in 46 Years

Ninety US troops enacted a rescue mission in April that marked "the first US boots on the ground in Iran in 46 years," according to a CBS (Lean Left bias) exclusive on Sunday that cited Central Command (CENTCOM) Adm. Brad Cooper.

The Details: Air Force Col. "Bravo" and pilot "Alpha" conducted mission call sign "Dude 44" to strike nuclear industrial facilities south of Isfahan on April 2nd. However, a $100 thousand Iranian missile sent the two into freefall when it struck down the $30 million F-15E. Bravo and Alpha separated upon ejecting from the aircraft, and Bravo broke his back, arm and shoulder when his parachute malfunctioned, leaving him stranded in Iranian territory.

Iranian troops reportedly launched a search for the airmen and got within a quarter mile of Bravo, who hid for two days. US troops rescued Alpha first, in what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called "a gun fight all the way in and all the way out," but they temporarily retreated after unsuccessful attempts to locate Bravo as well. Bravo eventually managed to send out a message, and a coordinated effort between the US military and CIA completed the rescue mission on Easter Sunday. Bravo proclaimed it "a modern-day miracle." Alpha, who said he's "still in awe of the professionalism and tactical prowess of the Combat Search and Rescue specialists and the Joint Force," is reportedly back to flying.

Were Boots On The Ground Expected? "We haven't made any decision on that. We're nowhere near it," President Donald Trump said in early March – ten days into the conflict and about a month before Dude 44. Both he and Hegseth touted the possibility of grounding troops to safeguard the nuclear material in Isfahan, though Trump said there would "have to be a very good reason." Israeli President Isaac Herzog remarked at the time, "I don't think anybody is expecting to see American troops in Iran."

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is "capable enough" of defending itself if the US made such a move and will do so "as much as it takes." Trump, on the other hand, said Iran "would be so decimated that they wouldn't be able to fight at the ground level."

Bravo's Account: "That day was just another day in the war for us," Bravo said in his interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," "until the moment where we got hit by an Iranian weapon." The airman described his terror upon seeing that his parachute hadn't deployed and prayed – while freefalling – "Lord, your will be done. But if I'm getting through this, I need help." He called the rescue a "testament of God's provision" in his life that "didn't prevent any injuries" but protected his life. "It's a story of the teamwork, the training, of the faith, of the decisions and the leadership to do something that will live in history as an example of what America's willing to do, in order to uphold our promise and leave no man behind."

How The Media Covered It: Outlets across the political spectrum scarcely covered this story. However, Russian-run RT (Lean Right) emphasized the "extraordinary amount of firepower" used by the US, including "339 munitions" and "more than 150 aircraft for the second rescue alone, including 64 fighters, four bombers, 48 refueling tankers, 13 rescue aircraft, and 26 intelligence and electronic-warfare planes."

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