Former U.S. President Donald Trump, in a statement to the media, highlighted that the recent military operations conducted by the U.S.
Army in Iran were among the most complex and hazardous missions, emphasizing the complete success of rescuing the two American soldiers without any injuries among the participants.
Trump said, "We are here today to celebrate the success of one of the largest combat search operations," adding, "The mission to locate and rescue the two American soldiers in Iran was one of the most complex and dangerous operations." He explained that those involved in rescuing one of the soldiers faced gunfire at close range, while U.S.
forces were deployed at seven different locations to mislead Iranian forces during the operation.
He noted that the second soldier was evacuated using two H-860 Jolly Green helicopters, with the participation of 155 aircraft, including 4 bombers, 64 fighter jets, and 48 refueling planes, emphasizing: "None of our troops involved in rescuing the second soldier, whose plane went down in Iran, were injured."
Trump added that the military chose to destroy two cargo planes stranded in the sand to prevent the Iranians from obtaining U.S. equipment: "We preferred to blow up the two cargo planes that were stuck in the sand so that the Iranians would not gain access to our equipment."
He also warned about the risks of information leaks, stating: "The leak of information by the media regarding the loss of contact with our pilots affects our national security," noting that the individual responsible for the leak will be identified and brought to court.
Trump discussed the scale of air operations over 37 days, with U.S. forces conducting more than 10,000 sorties over Iran and striking over 13,000 targets, adding: "The F-15 fighter jet that was shot down in Iran is the first manned aircraft to be downed by the enemy in this entire operation," describing the Iranian strike as "a matter of luck."
