US F-15E Crew Member Rescue Was Cover To ‘Steal Enriched Uranium’, Claims Iran

Iran on Monday, April 6, raised doubts over a recent US military operation to rescue a downed airman, suggesting it may have been used as a cover to “steal enriched uranium.” The allegation follows a high-risk mission confirmed by Donald Trump, who said American forces successfully recovered a second crew member from a crashed F-15E Strike Eagle inside Iranian territory.

The conflicting narratives from Washington and Tehran have added to tensions, with both sides offering sharply different accounts of the operation that took place after the aircraft was shot down over southern Iran on April 3. Donald Trump Confirms Second F-15E Crew Member Rescued Alive After Iran Shootdown, Calls Mission ‘One of the Most Daring in US History’.

About US F-15E Crew Member Rescue Mission

According to US officials, the mission was a complex search-and-rescue effort involving special forces, aircraft, and intelligence assets. President Trump described it as a “daring” operation, stating that the injured crew member was recovered from mountainous terrain after being stranded behind enemy lines.

Reports indicate that the mission involved multiple aircraft and personnel, with contingency measures taken to prevent sensitive equipment from falling into Iranian hands. Iran War Update: US F-15E Strike Eagle Shot Down, One Crew Rescued, Second Missing in High-Risk Operation.

Iran Calls Operation a “Deception”

Iranian authorities have strongly disputed the US version of events. The foreign ministry, through spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei, said there were “many questions and uncertainties” surrounding the operation.

Baqaei suggested that the location of the reported rescue did not align with where US forces allegedly attempted to deploy, raising suspicion about the mission’s true objective.

He stated that the possibility of the operation being a cover to access or remove enriched uranium “should not be ignored,” though no evidence has been publicly presented to support the claim.

Iran’s military described the operation as a failed or “foiled” mission, alleging that US aircraft were targeted and forced into emergency landings in parts of the country, including Isfahan province.

Officials also claimed that US forces destroyed disabled aircraft to prevent their capture. These assertions have not been independently verified. The United States has not publicly responded to the specific allegations regarding uranium or the reported damage to its aircraft.

The downing of the F-15E fighter jet marks a significant escalation, being one of the first such incidents in the current phase of tensions between the two countries. One crew member had been rescued earlier, while the second remained missing until the latest operation. Search-and-rescue missions in hostile territory are typically complex and involve coordinated use of air and ground assets, often under high risk.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 06, 2026 07:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).