Satellite photos expose US mission in rescuing downed pilot from Iran

ALBAWABA - Open Source Intel posted satellite images of the location where the American pilot was when his plane was shot down in Iran, before the United States rescued him.

The pictures showed about 28 craters cut into roads in Isfahan Province near the rescue site of the downed U.S. airman.

The source continues detailing how the U.S. operation was precise, adding that each craters is around 9 meters wide and aligned to block access routes, so that the American army would rescue him before he is captured by the Iranians.

Satellite images show about 28 craters cut into roads in Isfahan Province near the rescue site of the downed U.S. airman.

Each crater is around 9 meters wide and aligned to block access routes.

The site is roughly 20 km from the remote airstrip where U.S. forces destroyed… pic.twitter.com/rdNIQtA22K

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) April 6, 2026

According to the Open Source Intel, the location of the attacks is roughly 20 km from the remote airstrip where American forces destroyed damaged aircraft.

The strikes were likely meant to prevent Iranian forces from reaching the area during the rescue, CNN reported.

This operation reflects a high level of strategic planning and U.S. military precision in the region, as the precise engineering of the drilling rigs demonstrates an ability to "shape the battlefield" in advance—a traditional tactic in special operations to secure extraction or rescue areas.

Iran shoots down an American F-15 jet:

How seriously wounded US airman climbed mountain, hid in crevice and dodged Iranian bounty-hunters for 36 hours https://t.co/lutBw7fdLJ pic.twitter.com/ykSfC9Lt5n

— New York Post (@nypost) April 5, 2026

Iranian forces shot down two US military jets in early April. On Friday, an F-15E Strike Eagle with two crew members, which belonged to the 48th Fighter Wing of the US Air Force in Europe, was targeted by the Iranian army.

Photos of the wreckage of the F-15E Strike Eagle went viral on social media over the weekend.

Three pilots involved in the loss of an F-15 Strike Eagle and an A-10 Warthog ground attack plane were rescued, The Guardian reported.

The A-10 Warthog was hit by Iranian fire, but before ejecting, the pilot was able to get the jet over Kuwaiti airspace and was also rescued, the Washington Post mentioned.