CIA deception plan bought time to locate downed airman hiding on Iranian ridgeline. After Iran shot down U.S. F-15E fighter jet, the agency executed a campaign to mislead Iranian forces searching for the missing weapons officer. The plan involved spreading false information that the airman had been found and was moving out of the region, causing confusion among Iranian search parties.

The airman evaded capture for over 24 hours, eventually hiding in a crevice on a 7,000-foot ridgeline before being located by the CIA using unique equipment. U.S. special operations forces extracted him from the hiding spot without direct combat, as Iranian forces were reportedly diverted. The rescued airman was then flown to Kuwait for medical treatment.